Willow trees are the types of trees that always stand out from the other trees. Anytime you drive by one, either you or someone else is bound to ooh and ahh over how beautiful it is. It is known as one of the best climbing trees for children or for the inner child in adults. Willow trees also have a lot of different meanings for people of different cultures around the world. So, as I was doing research on what to name my blog and how the name can resonate with what motherhood means to me and hopefully other moms; I came across the Willow Tree.
Three facts about willow trees stood out to me that I was able to correlate with motherhood. They are very adaptive to any soil, they have strong roots, and they are susceptible to diseases and troublesome bugs. Now you may be wondering, "Analyse, what does that have anything to do with motherhood?" Hear me out.
Adaptive to Soil
Throughout the past couple years of motherhood, I have learned that motherhood is all about adapting to life's curveballs. Whether it's as small as your baby having a massive blow-out 5 mins before you need to head out the door or as big as your spouse losing their job. We have to adapt because, as keepers of the home, we set the tone of how our home feels to our family. However, I have also learned that it's easier said than done. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by the task that the Lord has set before me that I want to give up. I know that I am not able to adapt to these curveballs in and of myself. So I turn to Christ and His strength, because through Him, and only Him, am I able to adapt to whatever life throws at me in motherhood. That way, I can be the best for my family.
Strong Roots
The other day, I was listening to a podcast called Risen Motherhood. The two hosts were talking with a PPD psychiatrist. She mentioned that the support from our spouse, family, friends, and church/community could help prevent or lessen the symptoms of PPD in mothers. When she said that it reminded me of the phrase, "It takes a village to raise a child." When a mother is fed that kind of support, plus has a strong personal relationship with Christ, her roots become strong. Now if you're like me and live FAR away from immediate family, you mainly gained your strong roots from the support of your husband, a couple friends, and the Lord. It took me some time to get my strong roots. Shortly after I had my first, I struggled with postpartum depression, and after my second, I struggled with postpartum rage. I felt so vulnerable and I didn't feel like I knew who I was anymore. I had to ask the Lord for strength, read and meditate on His word, lean on my husband and talk to him about how I was feeling, and ask friends that I trusted who went through what I was going through for wisdom and for their prayers. With what I had, the Lord helped my roots to become stronger.
Susceptible to Diseases and Troublesome Bugs
With all of the raging hormones and the feeling of losing your sense of identity after having a baby; we can be susceptible to the devil's attacks if we are not seeking the Lords help. The devil has seen us women as an easy target all the way back to the Garden of Eden. He sees that we are easily swayed by our emotions, just like Eve was. That is why we MUST seek the Lord by praying every time we have a negative thought. We must also be reading the Bible and meditating in His Word. The Bible is the greatest comfort when we are at our lowest. Yet we cease to take advantage of what God gave us. I am even guilty of not taking advantage if it. When I was going through my postpartum depression and rage, I was allowing my thoughts to take over and consume me. Because I allowed that to happen, I became extremely susceptible to the devils attacks and it affected my relationship with Christ, mental health, my marriage, and my home. I eventually realized that I needed to get out of that deep, dark hole, talk to my husband, and spend time praying and reading my Bible as much as I could to rekindle my relationship with God. It wasn't a one time thing. I had to be consistent everyday. It was hard, but my relationship with God, my mental health, my marriage, and my home were all getting better.
After studying the correlation of the willow tree and motherhood, it made me realize that the key solution to all of our problems in motherhood is Jesus. Even if you're not a mother, that key solution still stands! He is the only one that is able to give us strength, patience, wisdom, comfort, peace, and the list goes on. Looking back at what I used to be before marriage and my two babies, I can see how far I've come and how much I have grown. And guess what? I am still growing. Growing in motherhood, my marriage, and most importantly, my relationship with Christ. That is how I got the name for this blog; The Growing Willow. I hope and pray all that I post from this point forward will be an inspiration and a blessing to all the other mothers out there.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. II Peter 3:18
Did you enjoy this blog?
If you did, we would really appreciate help with some of the costs to fund this website. That way I can continue to reach mothers who need a bit of encouragement or some inspiration.
Love,
Analyse <3
So encouraging!! Thank you for being so honest! So thankful for a Lord that loves us through it all!!