Moms, You Can't Live On Bread Crusts Alone

Rooted Rhythms Series Pt. 7 - An Overview of my Soft 7 Rhythms for an Intentional Life (Rhythm #3 - Sustenance)

The Bible says in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Such a good verse.

However, MomStack friends, that is not a reason to survive off of your kids’ sandwich crusts and goldfish crumbs.

When Sustenance Felt Too Narrow

There was a time when I viewed sustenance as only something physical, something to check off between errands, nap times, and work. But as I began rebuilding my life after burnout, I realized that sustenance runs deeper. It is the act of sovereign stewardship for both body and soul, tending to what God has entrusted to me with a balance of grace rather than guilt and discipline rather than debauchery.

I also saw sustenance as something that could be put on the back burner for myself and my family, that it didn’t really matter as long as we were getting fed. However, as I looked at the life of Jesus and as my kids got older, I saw that taking care of my own physical needs, as well as those of others, could be a way to honor God more.

Jamie Erickson sums this up perfectly in her book Holy Hygge by saying, “Jesus met the need in a person’s hand before He met the need in their hearts… He satisfied physical needs before He met spiritual ones, and in the end, the former almost always paved the way for the latter.”

This quote really helped me reframe how sustenance is not just about taking care of our bodies as temples but that meeting the physical needs of ourselves and our kids can be invitations to further show Jesus to those we encounter (this is an especially good mindset shift to have when you have gotten your kids their fourth snack only for them to refuse the very thing they initially requested lol!).

Learning to nourish both body and soul properly has been crucial to getting through burnout and to continuing to learn as I pursue a biblically intentional life.

What I Needed In That Season

How this rhythm looked for me while coming out of burnout: I needed something that could help me steward my family’s health while taking into consideration my lack of skill, interest, and energy. I also needed to guard my heart from swinging the other way into gluttony by numbing my emotions through overeating. I needed something in between discipline and disassociation.

There were seasons when eating felt too complicated. I was juggling my own PCOS flare-ups, a gluten intolerance, a husband with different preferences, and a toddler who was not a big eater. It felt like every meal was a test I could not pass. I compared myself to moms who seemed to love cooking, who had time and space to create elaborate meals, while I was just trying to get something on the table before someone melted down.

Choosing Simplicity on Purpose

Eventually, I learned that simplicity could be sacred. Focusing on the soft daily rhythm of sustenance, I started using frozen skillet meals and sheet pan dinners when I needed to. I made snack trays or elevated lunchables for my kids when full meals felt impossible. I stopped holding myself to someone else’s standard of “healthy” and started paying attention to what truly served my family.

The simplicity freed me from guilt. It gave me time freedom and eventually led to a more sustainable rhythm that allowed me to feed my family well while being present with them. It reminded me that sustenance is not just about what we eat, but how we approach nourishment with intention, care, and grace.

A Gentle Invitation

Invite God into your kitchen this week. Ask Him how you can steward your family’s health with gentleness and wisdom. Let Him show you what nourishment looks like for your unique home and season.

Start small. Keep it simple.

A Quiet Resource for This Season

If you are walking through burnout or rebuilding and need support beyond what fits in one article, I created the Mom Burnout Resource Library as a gentle companion. It holds the rhythms, frameworks, and practices that helped me rebuild in a way that is realistic, grace-filled, and sustainable for real motherhood.

My Encouragement To You

Remember, sweet friend, you are not failing because you may not be doing what you see others doing. By doing what works best for you and your family and allowing yourself to try and fail until you find your own version of this rhythm, you create space to be faithful in the work that God has called YOU to do. Keep going.

If you’ve been encouraged by this post and want to support my writing, you can “buy me a coffee” to help me keep creating gentle, faith-filled content.