31 Days with Mama A: The Weary World Part II (Day 31).

We made it!  We made it!  We made it!!!

If you have made it through this whole month with me--thank you!  Thank you for coming to this space.  Thank you for your encouragement.  Thank you for sharing this road with me this month.  I've greatly appreciated your kind words. 

This month has taught me a lot about myself and my writing "voice."  I used to believe that my Mama A posts had to be all sass and common sense, but we all know that Mama A is really Mama Amanda and sometimes just plain ol' Amanda.  And if I'm going to truly be me, then there has to be a mix of the high and the low as well.  

But all of this talk of Mama A has me simmering on some expanded ideas.  

Maybe there will be more on that topic another day.  

Yesterday we talked about the weariness and burden we carry around every day.  

I don't know about you, but I get exhausted just thinking about it.  

In my house, we're about to get all Christmasfied in t-minus 24 hours.  We've already got a few decorations out and I'm more than ready to get my tinsel on.  Baby Jesus is about to find a sweet place to lay His head, Charlie Brown is about to have the most pitiful tree, and Rudolph is going down in history.  

Pre baseboards. . .

But my most favorite part? 

Isaiah 9:1-7

For to Us a Child Is Born

9 

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2  The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,

on them has light shone.

3  You have multiplied the nation;

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

4  For the yoke of his burden,

and the staff for his shoulder,

the rod of his oppressor,

you have broken as on the day of Midian.

5  For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult

and every garment rolled in blood

will be burned as fuel for the fire.

6  For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7  Of the increase of his government and of peace

there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Oh, the best part is the knowledge that the burdens and the yokes that we carry have already been taken from us.  

If I could leave you with any thoughts from this past month, let it be that we don't have to work so hard to be everything we feel like we ought to be.  We don't have to make it so dramatic, we don't have to be perfect, and we certainly don't have to do everything on our own.  We don't have to carry everything on our shoulders and we desperately need to accept the fact that we weren't created to be the Savior of the world. 

Because He has already come.

With much love and all the smooches (and still expecting you to get your circus under control), 

Mama A. 

xoxxo