Nest
/nest/
noun
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1.a structure or place made or chosen by a bird for laying eggs and sheltering its young.
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a person’s snug or secluded retreat or shelter.
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verb
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1.(of a bird or other animal) use or build a nest.
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2.fit (an object or objects) inside a larger one.
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(of a set of objects) fit inside one another.
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I am nesting. I am a nest.
I am making a home, a refuge from the world. A safe space for my children to rest their fears and kindle their spirits.
I am a Russian stacking doll. The baby inside holds within him a future of hope, goodness, and light.
It feels difficult to nest these days. To gather what good I can find to build something sturdy, warm, and safe from life’s whirlwinds. I look around me and see so much hurt and pain and misunderstanding. In my effort to build, one must sort; the good from the bad, the healing from the pain.
This is when motherhood feels overwhelming. Our muscles ache beneath the weight of a constant mental work to hold up our homes, to help our children see the good and be the good, to follow Christ.
The darkness seems immense and everywhere, but we must find the light. The light that shows our path and the lightness that relieves the weight upon each of us.
I am especially grateful for the Christmas season this year, for the light and lightness that our Savior brings. To focus upon that is to choose faith over fear. To gain the help we need for our homes and families.
Focusing on the light isn’t just a mental shift, it can also be a tangible act. We can be the light, we can create it.
The past couple of days were dark for me. I let anxiety and fear in and my mind was trapped in an endless loop of worry. I was so mentally exhausted that every worst case scenario in my life seemed highly probable. As I sat, mind racing, I focused one what I have been teaching my five-year-old when he has trouble calming down.
Focus on your breathing. Read something calming. Reach out to a person of comfort.
I sat and breathed in and out. Light relieved the mental darkness and I knew in that moment what I needed and then the answers continued to come. Insight from on high. Family members who offered reassuring words and advice. A window was opened and light was now flooding in.
In all of it, I remembered why I have a Savior, why this season is so meaningful and wonderful. He is the light of the world.
If you are feeling overwhelmed this year, let light enter in. Seek light and find ways to create it.
I am extra grateful for the worldwide initiative that my church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) has come up with this year. It is so needed. For each day leading up to Christmas, there are ideas for service, ideas to find and bring light to our lives and the lives of others. I am so grateful for this help as I continue to nest, to be a nest.
Visit mormon.org to watch an inspiring video about how we can be the light just as He was and to find suggestions for each day of how we can serve. It is such a timely opportunity and our family is so excited to make this Christmas season extra special and bright.
(p.s. All photos were taken by the amazing Whitney Whiting Photography)
I keep forgetting to comment on Facebook, Gidget, to let you know how much reading your blog has meant to me this past year. I kind of stumbled on a link by accident and have been reading each entry every since. Every entry gives me something to think about and consider in my own life. I’m grateful not only for your wisdom but for your humility and courage in sharing what’s in your mind and heart. I’m I’m inspired! Thanks again, and Happy Holidays to you, Mongoose and the little rascals 🙂
I just saw this and it made my day! I am so glad that you enjoy reading. It feels so strange writing into the abyss of the internet. Thank you for taking the time to let me know it’s worth it.