On My Knees and Out of Luck, I Look Up

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F.A.T. 

(Sorry, Steph, I didn't have a group picture with all of us...had to steal one off your Facebook and figured I'd pick a good one!) 

That is, our humorously coined acronym for Fostering and Adopting Together.  The ironic thing is, I am neither fostering nor adopting right now, but these girls are and I've somehow happened upon their group and get to be invited to all their fun gatherings.  It's nothing official, really.  We just meet, eat great food, hang out, and talk about our families.  Tonight we met at a friend's house who will be bringing home their fresh-out-of-the-womb, adopted baby boy.  We wanted to shower their home with some love and prayer before they arrive tomorrow.

I truly, truly feel blessed to be among these gals.  I wonder why I am even in 'their group' sometimes.  I think it started one time with the default that we all love homemade, fresh, real, delicious, beautiful-looking food...and somehow we all just kept meeting and eating together and it formed a friendship.  A God-inspired one, in fact.

You see, there's something about this group of girls.  Regarding motherhood, life, and faith...they are raw, and that is refreshing.  During our get-togethers, we often find ourselves confessing out loud over lots of red wine ways we feel like we failed that day as a parent.  We admit that we make mistakes.  We admit acting out of selfishness.  We admit giving the Devil a foothold and choosing our flesh over our spirit.

It's refreshing to me because I realize that I am not the only one.  We are broken, dirty, and will always choose ourselves over anything else without Christ.  But among these sisters of mine, I am reminded that we are all in this battle together.  They encourage me to joyfully place God before anything else in my life.

I love these gals, and though we all live in different parts of Austin, it's always such a joy to get together with them.  I figure I will learn as much as possible from there mistakes, ha! before we are in a similar position.  I am just thankful for such encouraging friends who exhort, correct, and give me tough love when I need it.

Nothing in my life has brought about more sanctification than through marriage and parenting.  Motherhood is hard. Today was hard.  Tomorrow might be another hard day, too.  But if it presents more opportunities for God to work on me, then by all means.  I don't pretend to have any answers.  I am on my knees in prayer A.LOT.  I heard a phrase once that has always stuck out in my head--to look up and not sideways.  God has the answers, not the world.

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What's something you battle on a daily basis?

*Bonus points if you can guess from whom's lyrics is this post's title.