To the Mom in Chick-fil-A

I’m back from a bit of a hiatus. I’ll be sharing some exciting things we have been working on for While In Waiting soon!

This past week we went to our favorite place Chick-fil-A for lunch. There was a younger Mom standing in line ready to order her food and her little boy was trying to swing on the ropes of the little stand things where you stand in line to wait to order. I have been there. Many times. If it looks like something you can hang on my child will for sure be trying to hang on it. Her little boy was begging to go to the play area to play and she told him he would have to wait until after he ate. Cue the tears! They started coming hard and fast. I related to that sweet Mama. Her little boy kept ramping it up more and more as they sat down and got their food.

She kept looking around in embarrassment willing him to stop making what she thought was a scene. Any time she looked in our direction I would smile a big smile at her. You could tell she was becoming very frazzled as you could see the pink on her cheeks beginning to grow darker. Things kept escalating and the mother in law went to the front to get to go bags to pack up their food. The Mama got up and carried her son outside. I got up from my table and went over to the mother in law.

I said hi. Was that your daughter? She looked a bit frazzled too and said that was my daughter in law. I asked her if she could tell her daughter in law that she is a great Mom, is doing a great job, and let her know that we have all been there. Her smile lit up and she had tears in her eyes. She said thank you so much for saying that. I will go tell her right now. She thanked me for coming over and speaking with her.

Why am I telling you this story? I’m telling you because I want to challenge all of you in the next week to go out of your way and encourage someone. Whether it’s the Mom at Chick-fil-A, a new Mom at church, a friend going through a hard time, a friend walking through infertility, or a stranger in Target. Some may look at you weird, but some will appreciate it more than they can ever communicate to you. Some people have prayed for someone to just acknowledge them and feel noticed. Some have needed words of encouragement and a little boost of confidence in that tough moment.

I carried my kid surf board style out of a store not long ago and had a Mom say I know that feeling. You are doing great. In those moments we feel the opposite so that statement made my day. Those couple words of encouragement helped me view my situation differently.

We can take the smallest moments of our day and let it bring everything else down. Instead of viewing all the other positive things that have happened our eyes are fixed on that one bad moment.

I remember my husband asking me one day after he got home from work how was your day? I told him it was bad and preceded to explain why. He said so what I’m hearing is you let one bad moment turn a good day into a bad day? I did just that. I dwelled on that one bad moment and let it make me view my day negatively. One moment does not get to dictate the rest of our good moments. I’m not saying we can’t have tough days because we all know those days come, but let’s look at our perspective and focus of what makes a day good or bad.

Those little whispers you hear of how bad of a Mom you will are, how you will never have a baby, how you will never amount to anything, how you don’t deserve happiness. Those whispers are lies. Do not let someone who should have no place in your life continually whisper lies to you. Instead I encourage you to listen to your Heavenly Father! Let him whisper all the things he loves about you. He created you just the way he wanted you. Rest in his peace and his presence.

“You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord! You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place, carefully, skillfully shaping me from nothing to something. You saw who you created me to be before I became me! Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days you planned for me were already recorded in your book.”

Psalms 139:13-16 TPT

To the Mom in Chick-fil-A,

You are a great Mom.

To the Dad trying to get his screaming toddler in the cart at Target while shopping,

You are rocking it.

To the friend going through a hard time,

You are not alone. You are going to make it through!

To the person trying to make it better for everyone but themselves,

It’s ok to step back and take of yourself.

To the girl crying in the baby section,

You’re wondering when your arms will be carrying a baby through there buying it new outfits I know that feeling. I’m praying that your time will come! Speak life!

To the person that continually tells themself they will never amount to anything,

Start dreaming! God has big plans for you. Better days are ahead.

To the person that continually tells themself they aren’t enough,

You are enough! Keep pushing through. You are capable of so much.

Let’s show kindness today.

Let’s compliment or encourage someone this week.

Celebrating people can change an atmosphere.

Friends, today is a good day to have a good day!

If someone has done this to you, or if you do this and have a great encounter I would love to hear about it. Email me at whileinwaiting@yahoo.com or find me on Instagram @while_in_waiting