Why Sharing Stories Makes All the Difference

Last week I blogged about ending #mommywars. This week I have a story to share that hopefully will convince you to do it.

I was talking with a young mom of two children - one girl and one boy. It was her boy who had had a recent injury. If you have boys too, that perhaps won't come as a surprise. She told how he had been playing and something happened to his arm. He mentioned that it bothered him and she noticed that he was favoring it, but he wasn't crying and didn't appear to be major pain. She decided to monitor it.

After two days of the same, she went to the pediatrician.  She was shocked when the doctor ordered an X-ray and said that her son's arm was broken. He had never screamed nor shed a tear. When the mother questioned the doctor in disbelief, feeling guilty, the pediatrician reassured her: "You waited two days - usually it's two weeks." At that remark, even my jaw hit the floor as she relayed her story.

She buried her face in her hands. "My two-year-old now has a bright blue cast, which he picked. It is a glaring reminder that I made a mistake."

It was at that point that I stepped in. I shared my own mishaps while raising my boys. I marveled at her intuition in taking her son to the doctor - I too would have thought a broken arm would have been more dramatic. But more than anything else, I realized I was the recipient of valuable knowledge. Her experience would allow me to better protect my own children.

This mother felt shame as she relayed her story. But I learned something from it. I wonder how many stories could be shared, how much collective knowledge could be garnered, and how much grace could be given if we would all be vulnerable and share our hearts without fear of judgment. 

• Do you have a safe place where you can share too?
• Do you have a story that could help a fellow mom?
• Would the simple act of sharing your story help you too?

Again and again, I remind myself that Christian parenting isn't about being perfect. It's about doing our best, continuing to learn, and pointing our children to the only perfect parent - God. Sometimes the best modeling we can do is acknowledging that fact. When we're humble before God and others, we demonstrate the power of community, the importance of forgiveness, and the healing power of being authentic in daily life.

Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." This is what God offers us. My prayer is that we also seek to offer it to each other.

*****

To read more about ending #mommywars, check out my post from last week and what some celebrity moms had to say about it.

Stay tuned for the unveiling of a new professionally designed printable on my blog - it's one that I hope will inspire you for years to come!