Let’s Look-4.8.26

Hey There, Friends! It’s WEDNESDAY and I’m in the blog world! What’s going on?! 🙂

It’s Let’s Look, my monthly link up with Shay, where we take a deeper look at some of the things in our lives. Here’s a little recap of what we’ve discussed so far this year…

In January, we chatted about THINGS WE OUTSOURCE WITHOUT REGRET.

In February, we discussed WAYS WE’VE TURNED INTO OUR PARENTS.

In March, we talked about our FAVORITE FAMILY VACATIONS!

Today, we’re sharing THE HARDEST THINGS WE’VE EVER DONE….

What a topic. I wasn’t prepared to get this deep with you guys on a Wednesday morning {or whenever it is you’re reading this}. First of all, I want to preface these thoughts by saying that our “hards” are all going to look very different. We have some dear family friends whose daughter just got diagnosed with leukemia. They’ll be spending their next several months in the hospital, their sweet daughter has the fight of her life ahead of her, and our friends will be juggling kids at home plus being strong examples for their daughter all while being absolutely scared to death. That is bring-you-to-your-knees-in-prayer-HARD. {Please as you’re reading this, stop and say a prayer for Olivia. We know God can heal her little body and rid it of every bit of cancer. Thank you!}

While I have a list of things I’ve experienced that have been REALLY hard, I know this subject is all about perspective. Some of you have had some extremely HARD situations you’ve been through so I just want to acknowledge that. Hope you hear my heart in all of that.

#1 Went off to college.

I know many, many eighteen-year-olds make this happen but it was a hard thing for me. I’d grown up at the same small school from kindergarten through twelfth grade. I knew almost every single person in my town so leaving home, heading to a college 2.5 hours from home, and moving into a dorm where I knew NOT A SOUL was tough. I’m definitely an introvert so while I’m friendly and can make friends it’s much easier for me in a small group versus a full blown UNIVERSITY! ha! I knew one other freshmen who was also attending Arkansas State. We had a mutual friend and had hung out ONE time! We met ONCE for lunch the first week we both moved in and I pretty much never saw her again. That was hard to jump into a new place, meet people and make it my own.

#2 Get married and move nine hours away from home.

Yes, Tab got a job in Dallas after he graduated so I knew once we were married I’d be joining him NINE HOURS away from my hometown. We had some friends in town. He had family that lived pretty close to us so we had some people. However the hardest part for me was going from a big family where we ALL got together for pretty much EVERY holiday to only being able to visit a couple times a year! I don’t remember this {it must be like childbirth where I blocked out the pain} but Tab talks about how in the beginning he thought we’d eventually hit a day where he had to start looking for a job in Missouri. I was homesick! There came a point in our early days where we realized if we were really gonna make Texas our home we had to treat it like that. We stopped going “home” for every holiday, made our own traditions, and have managed over time to make this state the one we truly now call “home”.

# 3 Losing a friend.

There’s no better way to say this other than losing a girlfriend who was like me in so many ways….a young wife, a young mother, a Christian, a teacher turned stay-at-home-mom…WRECKED me. It was hard all around but mentally and emotionally it took me years to work through all my feelings. {I’m an enneagram 9 and it can take us a while.}. I was angry, confused, didn’t understand, and heartbroken, but over time it taught me a lot. Perspective being the number one thing, for sure. Since that time, I’ve lost two other girlfriends who have also been my age to that terrible disease. It doesn’t get any easier but it sure puts everything into perspective.

#4 Adopting a child from a country half a world away.

Whew! What a BLESSING this girl is to our family. I can’t imagine her not being a Slaughter so I’m SO very thankful God spoke to our hearts. I’m extra thankful we listened. But it doesn’t mean the process was easy, the transition was easy, the travel was easy, the new routines were easy, etc. It wasn’t. It was HARD.

I’m gonna pause for a second {not because I’m crying at the Starbucks as I type} but because I want to remind you that often times God uses these REALLY HARD things in our lives to grow us, stretch us, teach us, etc. and whatever those lessons are become THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE BLESSINGS!

Adding any child to your family whether it’s from biological birth, adoption, or a step-child through marriage is hard. But what a blessing they are!

#5 Parenting these four.

I’d be lying if I said the greatest job I’ve ever been given….to be their mom, isn’t also the hardest job I’ve been gifted with as well. Not only do I want them to grow up to be responsible adults, I want them to be full of manners, kind to others, great community members who give back, the best spouses one day, awesome co-workers, and really my list could go on and on and on but my biggest prayer is they grow up always living their lives for Jesus. There are multiple stories in the Bible of parents who did all they could to teach their kids about God and they turned away from Him. Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s the biggest blessing of my life but one that I don’t take lightly. It’s hard. Worth EVERY SINGLE SECOND but a hard job. I do my best to give them everything I can and I PRAY. {And pray and pray and pray.}

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That’s my Top Five list, friends.

We were much more serious today than we usually are around here but that’s a little much deeper look at the hard things I’ve been through. Thank you so much for reading today! Next month we’re chatting about making couple friends! I hope you join us next time!

I’ll see you back here on FRIDAY!

XO