2 Pieces of Encouragement for the Christian Mother

If you are, or have ever been a mom, I can almost guarantee that you have seen your share of messes. One child - one tiny human, can make the biggest mess in such a short period of time! I don't know how they do it, honestly. What is so enticing about a roll of toilet paper or a can of oatmeal?  You are watching them so carefully, then you turn your back for a second or two and you get this....

I am in the process of raising my 5th baby through the 'dump and squish everything in sight' stage. I love it! I used to get so tired of all the messes. I really, really got sick of wiping up bananas squished all over the highchair. I was bored to tears to sweep up yet another pile of dumped rice. Or crumbled crackers. or shredded tissues. 

It is just possible I allow my babies to play in too many cupboards - I know. 

But to just finish mixing up that recipe, or finish washing those dishes, or folding the laundry in peace... (you don't know why folding laundry wouldn't be peaceful? You must not have a one year old unfolding and tossing clothes as fast as humanly possible!) 😀 Yes, being able to get that bit of work done quickly and in peace -  that is why I allow dishes to be pulled out, oatmeal to be dumped, and tissues to be shredded. 

I am not here to tell you how to get your act together and get more done. I can't help you in the clean house department. I can't show you any tricks to having a baby and also keeping a neat and tidy house. I won't even tell you to "enjoy them while they're young, because they grow up too soon"!

Nope.

What I have to say is this:

1. Don't sweat the small stuff. 

Enjoy the moments that are cuddly and sweet. Laugh at the messes whenever you can. Ask God for grace on days when you feel overwhelmed. Lean into the work. Don't give up because it's a never-ending battle, just dig deep into God's well of strength, and keep going. Yes, you will do it all over tomorrow. Make peace with that. You don't have to feel all warm and fuzzy about it - but don't complain either. Just do the right thing: Love on your family. 

I can't say I enjoy everything about being a mother. Sometimes when my baby wakes up with a crusty nose that takes a half-hour of warm water soaking... I just want to turn her over to Mom and go find a book. 

When my older kids are fighting about why "he never wants to play with me!!", I just want to plug my ears and go eat some ice cream.

No really! It's draining - this training of young hearts and souls. It is not for the faint of heart. It is for warrior women. Women who know their strength is inadequate to the task - and that their true strength is in God alone. Women who put on the whole armor of God to withstand the wiles of the Devil. Fighting against bad moods and depression, so we can have the kind of children and home-life that God wants for us. Women who have learned (and are still learning!) to fall at the feet of Jesus and cry out for His wisdom on a daily, no - hourly! - basis.  

But I can give you this encouragement:

2. It won't last forever! 

Yes - they do get past that tear-the-house-apart stage. They stop pulling books off the shelf just to see them fall. They start sleeping through the night. And when you get up one morning and your son willingly helps you make breakfast... it will suddenly hit you -- it was worth it! It was worth every sleepless night, every diaper blow-out in the middle of a grocery store, and every patient instruction you took time to give. 

And then you look at your current baby (as I do) and realize that while you still can't enjoy 'every minute of it', you have learned to enjoy most of them! 

Do you enjoy 'every minute' of your journey as a mother? How can you possibly enjoy wiping up puke? 😉

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