We can’t do it all all the time. Knowing your season (and the opportunities and limitations in that season) will allow you to live your purpose.
This idea of living in your season applies to everyone, but it’s especially true for special-needs moms because our seasons are longer than those of typical parents. My son James (who is 8 and has autism) is more like a typical 2 year old. So my season of life is more like that of a toddler mom than a mom of a second grader. When we visit someone’s house, I can’t send him in the back yard alone to play. I always have to be watching him, making sure he’s safe (and the house we are visiting is safe from him *smile*).
How do you live best in the season you are in?
- Accept it. As we talked about before, God has specific callings on your life and He knows your resources and limitations. You are in this season because He intends for you to be in this season.
When He created me with a set of gifts and calling, He did so knowing I would be James’s mom. That means I can still achieve every purpose He has for me within the constraints of my daily life. –Your Life Purpose
- Live according to your purpose. Even though my season have changed slower than most, they have changed. When James was home all the time, my purpose was to keep him safe and help him develop. I didn’t have much purpose outside of my home. Now that he’s in school, my purpose has evolved. I still keep him safe and help him develop, but I now have time to fulfill another purpose—encouraging other special-needs parents.
“In God’s plan, you’ve got a part to play. If you know it and believe it, you’ll live it.” – The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst
- Say no to anything that doesn’t align with your purpose. Because I know my purpose, when an opportunity comes my way, I ask myself if it aligns with my purpose. If not, I say no. I say no to PTA meetings, but I say yes to inviting James’s classmates’ families over for a pumpkin painting party. I say no volunteering in his classroom each Friday so I can say yes to managing Not Alone.
“Whenever you say yes to something, there is less of you for something else. Make sure your yes is worth the less.” – The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst
Living in your season isn’t always easy for special-needs moms. Fear of missing out is real in our lives. But when we see our limitations as part of God’s purpose for our lives, it helps us accept them and live out our purpose within them.
“Like a tree, a woman can’t carry the weight of two seasons simultaneously. In the violent struggle of trying, she’ll miss every bit of joy each season promises to bring.” – The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst
