I remember the day so clearly.
My daughter was already late for school. I had a deadline hanging over me. And I could feel the impatience rising in my chest before we even backed out of the driveway.
Everything felt rushed. Tight. Pressed.
You know that feeling—when the morning starts off wrong and it just keeps spiraling?
That was this day.
We were driving to school, both of us already carrying the weight of the morning, when it happened. The car in front of us hit a squirrel.
It was sudden. Jarring. And my daughter… completely fell apart. She gasped, then started crying—real, deep, shaken tears.
And me? I kept driving.
Because in my mind, we were already late. I had a deadline. There was no time for this. So I pushed through. I tried to move us forward like nothing had happened.
But when we got to the school parking lot, everything slowed. She sat there, still crying. Still shaken. Still trying to process what she had just seen.
And in that quiet moment, sitting in the car…It hit me. She couldn’t go into school like this.
And my deadline? It would have to wait.
The Moment That Changed Everything
Right there in that parked car, I had a choice.
Keep pushing forward…Or pause and see what my daughter actually needed.
Not what the schedule said. Not what my to-do list demanded. But what her heart needed at that moment.
And what she needed wasn’t correction. It wasn’t rushing. It wasn’t “we don’t have time for this.”
She needed comfort. Safety. Presence.
So we stayed.
The Lie Moms Believe
It would’ve been easy for me to end that day thinking: “I handled that wrong.” “I should’ve been more patient.” “I’m failing at this.”
Maybe you’ve had moments like that too.
The ones that replay in your head later. The ones where you wish you had responded differently.
And the lie creeps in quietly: “I’m not a good mom.” But that’s not the truth.
The Truth You Need to Hear Today
You are not failing. You are overwhelmed. There’s a difference.
When you’re carrying too much, moving too fast, and trying to meet every need at once… of course you’re going to have moments where you react instead of respond.
That doesn’t make you a bad mom.
That makes you a human one.
What God Sees (Even When You Don’t)
In 1 Samuel 16:7, we’re reminded:
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at… the Lord looks at the heart.”
You see the moment you kept driving. God sees the moment you stopped.
You see the impatience. God sees the correction.
You see where you fell short. God sees your willingness to turn back, to choose connection, to show up differently.
That matters more than perfection ever could.
Connection Over Perfection
That day didn’t unfold perfectly. But it did shift.
Because I chose to pause.
I chose to sit with her. To comfort her. To let the moment matter more than the schedule.
And that’s something I want you to hold onto:
Your child will remember how you made them feel far longer than whether you stayed on schedule.
A Gentle Reset (For Both of You)
If you’re in a season where everything feels rushed… heavy… overwhelming…
You don’t need a complete life overhaul.
You just need a reset.
A small pause.
A moment to breathe.
A chance to reconnect—with God and with your child.
That’s exactly why I created something simple for moms like you.
Your Next Step
“Some days, the overwhelm builds so quietly you don’t even notice it until you’re already snapping. I shared more about that here…”
👉Read this one: “Exhaustion makes you spiritually vulnerable”
If today already feels like too much…I want to invite you into my 10-Minute Reset for Overwhelmed Moms.
It’s a simple, grace-filled way to:
- Calm the chaos
- Recenter your heart
- Respond instead of react
👉 Grab your 10-Minute Reset here
Because you don’t have to keep pushing through everything alone.
Final Encouragement
Moms, listen closely:
You are not failing.
You are learning.
You are adjusting.
You are showing up—even when it’s hard.
And that?
That is what a good mom does.
Amber has a BA in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Human Resources. She spent 9 years working in youth and cross-generational ministry where she focused on making faith fun. Her book, The Beginner’s Guide to God, is for anyone wondering how to have a relationship with God. She is the author of the blog AuburnRaven – Balancing Faith, Family & Fun. She has a passion for introducing people to God’s love and biblically equipping parents and teachers so children can grow in faith. Her journey, tips and lessons can be found on her blog www.AuburnRaven.com. You can connect with her on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.
