The days are long and weary. The laundry piles up and up. The dishes flow over and out. School papers flutter around the room as puzzle pieces get shoved underneath the carpet and pencil shavings from the sharpener hit the kitchen floor.
Kleenexes fill the garbage pails, hands are dry and chapped from constantly washing. Garbage bags and towels line the bed and the bath is running again. The sun has finally peaked out and the cold air is waning, but we can’t go out to enjoy it because the kids have gotten sick. Again.
This daily life of motherhood is draining. Days spent running from the time my feet hit the cold tiles in the morning until I drag myself up the stairs to bed, coupled with night wakings for growing pains, vomiting, baby feedings and prayers for the scared ones are enough to do in the strongest of the strong.
Yet in these moments of fatigue, drained though I am, I find rest. Here, sitting amidst the toys and laundry, crumbs and diapers, I open my bible and read words of truth. They breathe life into this tired soul.
Luke 12:31-32 “Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Suddenly, these things aren’t as urgent or as important as the food necessary to keep my mind and body going. Seek first his kingdom. He delights to add everything else to you!
My heart has been heavily burdened for my children lately – especially for our eldest. He’s 8 in just a couple of weeks. God has been doing a great work in his life, as I know he is working in each of our lives. Yet we still see so much stubbornness, hardness of heart and rebellion. Anxiety kicks in as I think fast-forward – will he choose to follow Christ? I have no say in the matter, only God can draw him to himself. Our job as parents is to love them when they’re hard to love. To pray for them when we least want to pray. To discipline when they need it most and we want to turn away. To surrender them into the hands of the Father who made them, knows them, and, we pray, will soften their hearts to respond to his call.
Parenting. It’s a tough, long, ever-changing, ever-altering, joyful, sorrowful journey. My heart breaks as I think of how I burdened my parents, and rejoices for them to now see where God has led me to.
Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
I’m not going to give up. But I am going to give in….and seek the Lord.
Getting back into counting my 1000 Gifts…it’s been too long!
3 Gifts Surprisingly Found
609. Massive amounts of balloons on top of garbage bags leftover from my surprise 30th birthday party on the weekend
610. Snuggles in the sun
611. Friends who bring coffee and powerade
3 Gifts Round
612. The sun coming up earlier so I can hopefully start running outside soon!
613. Balloons from the party
614. Little earrings in little ears
3 Gifts White
615. A blank page on a blog post waiting to be written
616. Lace overlay on Easter dresses
617. Clean cloth diapers!
3 Gifts in His Word
618. Genesis 50:19-21 “But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”
619. Psalm 100:3 “Know that the LORD, he is GOD! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
620. 1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”
