Oh, that we all would have more energy to zoom through our daily activities! My personal belief regarding the "energy crisis" most mothers feel is that the crisis and stress induced by not having the energy is due to several factors:

1) We have unrealistic expectations of what we can accomplish each day, every day, day in and day out every day of the year, every year of our lives. Living IS an ebb and flow. Some days we just feel more energetic; other days we might feel like getting through the basics requires all the energy we can summon. Most of us, with larger families or busier lives stay "on the go," even in our own homes. I know I don't necessarily get "out" much, but our pace stays constant in the home. I feel very real, irrational, guilt when I lie down for a nap, even pregnant. I usually lie there until my brain, thinking of all the things I could be doing, overwhelms me, and I'm up doing something "productive" again. This thinking is a problem. We need to learn how to work and relax.

2) We don't take seriously the Lord's Day admonition of worship and rest. We NEED to spend the Lord's Day worshipping Him for our health, drawing strength from supping with Him, from Him, in communion. Our very lives depend upon regular worship, the rest that comes from that day of worship and the strength that comes from eating with and of Him. I personally believe this is the single most important factor in the female "energy crisis." Even if our family has the sense to set aside the day from all work AND actually commits to regular worship in the Body of Christ, most wives and mothers spend most of that day in a busy whirlwind, so that Mondays are one of the worst days of the week. I've been trying to prep my Lord's Day meals on Saturday, so that my "work" is minimal even if we have 20 at our table on His day. And, I'm still having a hard time getting my family to commit to "everything clean and ready for His day tomorrow" on Saturday night. We've been committed to keeping the Lord's Day holy and set apart for worship for several years, yet we still really struggle in prepping for the day.

3) We've forgotten what it means to be "a people of God," or a community of believers. We think we're individuals with a personal purpose that doesn't necessarily affect anyone else. This is wrongheadedness (in the words of my pastor). While we are created uniquely, God did not create us to be alone or to function within our spiritual purpose alone. We need others; others need us. What we do affects others, and what others do affects us. Because we like our individuality and are quite proud of it, we don't help one another in the very real ways that would decrease anxiety and workload for one another. The covenant is familial, meaning not only does God work primarily through families to fulfill His purpose, but we are to behave as family within the covenant where our "blood tie" is within the blood of Jesus Christ.

4) Most folks' diets do not provide enough REAL nutrients in real food to "keep a bird alive," let alone a human being alive and WELL! We have to adjust our eating habits to provide actual nourishment with our meals and pray prior to those meals that God would convert those real nutrients to real food for our bodies!

5) Most of us don't drink enough water - 2 quarts a day minimum for health. It has only been in this pregnancy that I've realized the vital need for plentiful water and rest for health. I can feel in 1-2 days the effects of a lack of either one of these. In fact, I've always struggled with migraine-y type headaches in early pregnancy until this pregnancy. I saw the very direct correlation between lack of rest/sleep and lack of water (and accompanying bowel activity or lack thereof) and the headaches this time. I think it applies to all women, not just pregnant mothers.

6) If we're taking care of the above basics, then we probably will be attuned to when we have additional needs that may require altering of schedules, food nourishment or even supplementation. I know if the family gets the sniffles (like last week), then I might have a day or so of feeling more tired while I'm fighting off the bug. If I'm doing all the basics, don't have a bug to fight off, and still feel extreme tiredness for more than 3-5 days, then I usually start trying to figure out what else might be going on. For me, the questions become: How's my thyroid doing with the challenge of pregnancy? How are my hemoglobin/hematocrit levels? What other symptoms might I have to give me a clue about my health needs? Am I under a great deal of stress? If it's primarily stress related, I must confess my anxiety to the Lord, work to eliminate the source where possible and possibly add some of the Siberian ginseng (even in pregnancy) to help my body adapt to the more stressful situation as well as making certain the daily multivitamin/mineral is providing enough for increased demands upon the body. These are just the starting places for me when I try to evaluate the tired situation in myself. Hope something in what I've shared might be of help to you.

In the love of the One who feeds and enlivens us,

Shonda

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