I Never Wanted to Become a Desperate Mom

Emotions & Mental Health
Written By Emily A. Jensen

I never wanted to become a desperate mom.

When my first son was a toddler, I remember a book came out with a mom laid flat on her back on the front cover. She looked exhausted & overwhelmed...desperate. I remember scrolling by it thinking, "I hope I never need a book like that. Motherhood doesn't have to leave you desperate."

Well, fast forward through a set of twins & a fourth baby in under 4 years.

4 little ones in diapers. 4 little ones waking in the night. 4 little ones pining for my love & immediate attention.

Somewhere in there, it happened. I'm not sure of the exact day; but I transformed from a strong mom into a desperate mom. I started losing my patience, my energy & my faith in my ability to be enough for everyone. If you were to take a picture of my soul, it was more like the mom on the cover of that book - laid flat & in need of someone help to carry all the weight.

The thing is, in both of those seasons, I was thinking wrongly. Near the beginning of motherhood, I primarily identified myself as a "STRONG MOM," which left me prideful, judgemental & convinced I had the stuff good moms were made of. Later in motherhood, I often identified myself as a "DESPERATE MOM," which left me buried in heaps of self-pity & condemnation.

But then I remembered...

I'm not a STRONG mom or a DESPERATE mom, I'm a REDEEMED mom.

I only have one identity that gets to tell me what to do - my identity in Jesus. I'm in Christ, adopted into a holy family, with an untarnished rap sheet before the throne. There is nothing left for me to earn, prove or posture for. God sought me at my worst, & put Christ in me so I could be at my best for His glory. And because of the wonderful freedom he purchased for me, I am not a slave to my sin or my success.

Moms, wherever you are at today - strong, desperate, or somewhere in between - remember that if you are a follower of Christ there is only ONE STORY that defines you, and ONE PERSON who tells you who you are. Believe this, & live: desperate for a Savior & strong because He loves you.

Emily A. Jensen

Emily A. Jensen is an author, podcaster, and the cofounder and content director at Risen Motherhood, where she and her sister-in-law, Laura Wifler, help moms connect their faith to their everyday lives. Emily’s greatest passion is knowing Christ and making him known—in her home, her community, and to the ends of the Internet. Her book, He is Strong: Devotions for When You Feel Weak, releases October 2023.

When she’s not writing, speaking, podcasting, or encouraging women on Instagram, you can find her prepping a meal, pulling weeds, playing in the backyard with her children, or huddled up with a good book.

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