A story I like to call: My Kid and the Masjid Meltdown
During Ramadan, I had iftar at the masjid and was dreading the moment it was time to leave. My toddler was beyond sleepy and I was making dua that she doesn't have a full.blown.meltdown.
When my kids need sleep, they're psycho. Your kids too, maybe? I was preparing myself to be that mom... the one with the crying screaming kid disturbing everyone.
On this particular night, I was taking it step by step with her tryyying to be patient with every step. As I was talking to her, I was also talking to myself inside my head:
Breathe and smile. Your smile will calm her. This phase will pass. Soon she won't be a toddler and these days will be over. Season of life. You can almost touch the door. Just get her shoes on.
But she was fussing even more as we approached the door to put her shoes on. Because toddlers are smart. They know shoes = leaving.
Just then a sister walks by and caught me by surprise. Normally when I pass another mom in a situation like this, I give her a look that says: I feel you. I've been there. You're doing a great job. ...and I keep walking. I expected her to do the same.
Except she didn't. She smiles and says: Renew Your Intention
Huh? I said. She caught me off guard.
Renew your intention, she repeated
I heard it but I don't get what you mean, I said. I knew what it meant as a phrase. But in this specific situation, what more could I do? I was doing my best to be patient. I was trying to be calm. What was she seeing that I wasn't?
Then she said:
When she gives you a hard time, just renew your intention. Just say to yourself: I'm raising a believer. I'm raising a believer for the sake of Allah.
Suddenly, my whole body relaxed. I thought I was handling the situation quite well. But reminding myself of that simple fact made all the difference.
Once I "renewed my intention" I wasn't trying to BE calm. I WAS calm. I'm raising a believer, I repeated it to myself. This wasn't a time of motherhood "to get through" "to smile and grin and just get past it already". This was the juice of it. This was where I pull up my sleeves, remind myself of the big picture and say:
I'm raising a believer for the sake of Allah.
And when I see it like that. I feel different. I am different. It's no longer an anoyyance. It's a choice.
Yes. I AM raising a believer. And when she behaves this way, it's a chance for me to choose again. To remember why I became a mama. It's a chance to remind myself why I'm smiling and being patient. Because I'm raising a believer. It was so simple.
So I want you to walk away with this today:
Renew your intention. In motherhood. In your marriage. In your business. In Islam. And everything else.
I hope this article gives you something you need right now. Please keep the sister who reminded me of this in your prayers and if you'd like to be on my newsletter to get more articles like this, join me here.