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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / inspiration / Faith / Give me comfort.

Give me comfort.

April 6, 2017 · 8 Comments
Filed Under: Faith, inspiration

Where do we turn when we’re gaining no new traction, when we’re running in circles around ourselves, the mess, the uncertainty of it all?

We turn to our comforts.

Yet, how often do I turn to things that don’t bring me comfort? I’ll tell you: more often than I should. (I’m looking at you, social media.)

How much time am I spending on things that don’t help me feel whole?

My desk is full of books and bound paper and packs of note cards for writing, because these things help me feel comfort. With these tools, I can digest life and deepen relationships.

If I can pull back for a moment and re-focus, if I can give myself permission to make u-turns, I instantly feel lighter.

And this works every time.

This season, where mothering is all consuming, as it very well should be, I need to feel light, feel comfort.

Years of baby wearing and nursing and little one holding has tensed my shoulders up towards my ears. You should see the crookedness of my terrible posture, and so to feel “light” feels like great comfort. When my shoulders sit symmetrical, that feels like great comfort.

We are in a time where it feels almost expected to watch and watch and WATCH others, instead of acting and accomplishing (or even, pulling back and just enjoying) — it’s no wonder we feel un-certain and un-whole and un-focused and un-light.

This is why I “write it down”. (And for the umpteenth time, Maggie, just get started. There’s no need to search for a magical unicorn solution, you already know the solution! Get started, lady!)

Where are the days of offering genuine encouragement and dinner table nourishment and worn book pages and finding paint smeared on the underside of the bathroom sink?

Where are the days of rolling up our sleeves and emptying the dustpan at the end of the day?

Where are the days of a faith-focused routine and deep belly laughs and working to solve the world’s problems, if only to remind ourselves the world’s problems are in fact solved when we slow down and act and do our best to truly accomplish, so that we know what our priorities are (and the WHY behind the task at hand) — where are those days?

Give me those days of comfort.

Two days ago I moved a white planter box to a different table. Any time I do a little home-focused re-arranging, my spirit ends up re-arranged, too. This is also my comfort food.

Let’s go back to my rhythm of comfort, where we turn towards what’s good. Nourishing what we know to be important in our life, in life in general.

Very slowly, I’ve been sharing about my experiences with postpartum depression. When we rally together and pursue genuine encouragement, and nod our heads together over the worn book pages, the paint smeared on the bathroom sink, we quietly say to one another, “We are in this together.”

When we share our comforts, we begin to feel whole again.

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8 Comments
Filed Under: Faith, inspiration

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Comments

  1. Alishia says

    April 6, 2017 at 4:24 pm

    This hit a lot of chords for me. The simplicity is what brings me comfort. Like you say “lightness”. My focus has shifted to peace and peacefulness for me personally and my family and this is another perspective on that. I’ll be thinking of your words. Thank you :)

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      April 7, 2017 at 9:45 am

      What a great word to keep as your center focus!

      Reply
  2. Becky Drenth says

    April 6, 2017 at 8:53 pm

    I get to and you get to “comfort one another with the comforts that you yourself were comforted with.”
    Maggie, I love that you said, “When we share our comforts, we begin to feel whole again.”

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      April 7, 2017 at 9:46 am

      What a TREAT to have you comment! Thank you for sharing your words with us… :)

      Reply
  3. Hubbs says

    April 6, 2017 at 9:43 pm

    I agree fully. There’s no stinking unicorn. There’s no substitute for action. There’s just the art of making time, and then actually using that time when it comes. If I only get 30 minutes to write every week, it’s important to just dive in, inspiration or no, and get my brain onto that page as quickly as possible.

    Love this post so much.

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      April 7, 2017 at 9:47 am

      You’re a handsome cheerleader! I value your words so much.

      Reply
  4. Cindy says

    April 7, 2017 at 9:44 pm

    We are in this together, how freeing to realize that, and how blessed to have YOU in our lives! We love you dearlyMom

    Reply
  5. Samantha Bewick says

    April 10, 2017 at 2:55 am

    I love the “magical unicorn solution” I’m constantly doubting my choices and continue to “look” for something instead of just taking the risk picking a plan and executing. Glad to know we’re not alone! Thanks for a great read.

    Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

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“We are preparing to wind down for the school ye “We are preparing to wind down for the school year with just a few more weeks of intentional table lessons. We will then transition to a lighter learning schedule during the summer months. Today I am grateful for the books and resources I’ve read that have helped keep me in my own lane. (Visit my blog to see a personal favorite.)

Even now, three years in, I appreciate the reminder to stay on the path that was designed with intentional thought just for me.”

✨ see #maggiewhitleydotcom for the full post ✨
I took off my “comparison / contemplation” gla I took off my “comparison / contemplation” glasses last month and it’s been soooooo good. See also: sooooo hard (because life is never and/or). I’ve been writing more, reading more, spending more time outside. Talking to friends faces and smelling their detergent. My heart feels lighter. I’m sharing a few updates on my blog if you’d like to read? 🌾🤓blog reading & writing is a much better pace for me. You too? Link in profile.
Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect o Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect on the moments I’ve felt my mind spinning, my emotions swirly, it’s almost always when I’m not feasting on the word of God. Not that reading scripture is the cure for anxiety —no! Rather, it’s hard to worry when we’re worshipping.
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I fought every internal comment I could think of a I fought every internal comment I could think of and took my kiddos for a looooong walk today before dinner. ❄️✨ There’s just so much work required to raise children! I’m feeling like a tired lady. But sunshine & fresh air are good companions to keep around. 

We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
How about a little Wednesday night introduction? 😘Social media sure has changed over the years and we don’t always SEE who we’re following or remember WHY we’re following certain accounts. 

So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

Motherhood has been very hard on me. (And not just because of how close in age our four children are.) It’s been hard for me because I fought for years to accept that *it’s supposed to be hard*. 

I mean, how do you effectively teach another person to know and love the Lord? Bc that’s how I think of motherhood: a calling to nurture others by studying the One who nurtures me. So I gotta make the first move: study the Bible and seek Him first. As my friend Autumn reminded me, vulnerability births transformation. 

(I’ve had to be really vulnerable!)

So, yes motherhood has fully transformed me. But even more so, Christ has fully transformed me. My list of “all that He’s done for me” is off to a beautifully long start.

Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

But my friend Jesus walks alongside me. He’s already done a mighty work in my heart, including helping me process my anger in healthier ways. I’ve also adopted a heart for sisterhood, mothering, and Titus 2 mentorship.

Sometimes our greatest losses are our greatest gains? That’s what I’m clinging to!

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