Mommy Needs a Time-Out with Jesus

Most of us probably have a memory associated with the words “time-out.” When you hear “time out,” you may envision a child being sent to their room, a coach wanting to stop the clock to revise a play or a group of kids playing tag with one trying to catch their breath. But what do you envision when you hear “time out with Jesus”?

Merriam-Webster defines a time out as “a brief suspension of activity.” So, time out with Jesus means to briefly suspend your activity and sit with Jesus.

Life is overwhelming. Whether you are a mom who works, stays home, works from home, homeschools, has one child, has seven children, is in the trenches of babies and toddlers, or is navigating the hormones of pre-teens and teens, you are more than likely overwhelmed at some point in your day. But how do we react when we feel overwhelmed?

Do we snap at our kids?

Do we pour another cup of coffee?

Do we zone out on our phones?

Do we push harder, burning ourselves out further?

Early in my journey as a mother, when I was in the thick of newborn and toddler life, I felt myself fraying at the edges over how overwhelming life felt. When I needed a moment to breathe, pray, and trust that Jesus was in control, I began voicing to my oldest, “Mommy needs a time-out with Jesus.”

My time-outs with Jesus didn’t always look the same. Sometimes, I stopped what I was doing immediately and prayed right then and there, while other times, it was me setting my children up with an activity in order to step away for a moment.

No matter what they looked like, I did my best to vocalize what I was doing so my children knew I needed Jesus, and it wasn’t that I was mad at them or something was wrong. My time-outs with Jesus were painted in a positive light because what could be more positive than time with your Savior?

Today, I am a little further on my parenting journey, navigating older kids and some preteen hormones mixed in, and there are still moments when I feel myself fraying at the edges, and I take a time out with Jesus. I have also had the honor of helping my children have a time out with Jesus when they are overwhelmed or struggling with unfavorable behavior. In those challenging moments of life, we have the opportunity to sit together and talk about what we are struggling with, how Jesus can help, and how to pray about it.

Mommy time-outs are one of the best things we can do for ourselves to remember we are not in control and that we cannot live our lives well apart from Christ. And one of the best things we can do for our children is to let them see our need for Jesus in everyday moments so they’ll remember too.

Blessings,

Laura Dedmon