This post is part of an editorial series, “Healthy Mama,” brought to you by the Fort Worth Moms Blog and Texas Health Care Privia Medical Group North Texas, which includes Dr. Elisabeth Wagner, Dr. Mickey Hooper, Dr. Bea Kutzler, Dr. Doug Decker, Dr. Jamie Erwin, Dr. Kathleen Cammack, Dr. Emily Maas, Dr. Jennifer McLeland, Dr. Lindsay Breedlove, Dr. Martha Guerra, Dr. Danielle Burkett, Dr. Robert Zwernemann, Dr. Jay Herd, Dr. Ingrid Kohlmorgen, and Dr. Martin Read. We hope these pieces provide you with helpful information, encouragement, and answers as you make decisions for your own health.
I don’t want to death-scream at my girls to stop yelling at each other or threaten someone’s life for smacking her food while eating; I’m just feeling extra sensitive because I’m WAY too hungry. When I’m too sleepy, I find myself nodding off while I’m supposed to be listening to my three year old tell me about Paw Patrol for 45 minutes straight. I get headaches when I don’t drink enough water (woman cannot live on coffee alone).
I can usually self-diagnose when my I’m neglecting my physical needs, but I seem to easily miss the warning signs that I’m running dry spiritually.
My spiritual health — having a strong relationship with something/someone greater than me — is what I’ve neglected the most as a mom. Finding the time and energy to invest in my relationship with God has been a challenge, although I find I need God MORE THAN EVER NOW.
Empty Tank: The Symptoms
When my spiritual tank is empty, I find no matter how “perfect” my weight, no matter how great my hair looks, no matter how much money and cool stuff I have, no matter how wonderful my husband or how precious my children, I am not at peace. Outside, things in my life may be going great, but that doesn’t mean things within feel right.
When I neglect my deeper needs, those unseen external things that money can’t buy and people can’t fix — the unseen things in my life — are just out of place. Spiritual health is having inner peace, hope and joy regardless of what’s going on me.
- How can people with so much money feel so empty?
- How can women who look so perfect be so unhappy with themselves?
- How can women with such great husbands and friends feel so alone?
- How can women who seemingly have their lives so together feel so inadequate?
I believe much of the time, the answer is we were created to long for more. We have a hunger deep in us that “things” and even people won’t fill.
Full Tank: Having Spiritual Health
There is a spiritual element to the self that is the key to unlocking inner harmony. And this means we must invest in our spiritual health because it will make us such better people and better parents.
- Being healthy spiritually means me being at peace and spreading peace in my home.
- Being healthy spiritually means me having an inner strength that comes from somewhere deeper than myself.
For me, the answer is a relationship with Jesus and following the Bible. The Bible is my compass that keeps me grounded and leads me in how to make large and small decisions. Through Jesus, I’m never alone on the inside and have hope even on the dark days.
We humans need to be connected with something greater than us. We need help from something that connects us with how huge and incredible and challenging our planet and humanity are. We need guidance. We need something more.
We would never run a race without drinking water (I’ve never even run a race WITH drinking a ton of water). We would never think of working when we haven’t slept in days. Mamas, don’t live dry on the inside.
