Don’t Lose Heart

Do you remember the day your children were born? Those first cries? That magical moment when you looked into your newborn’s eyes for the very first time? I do. I’ll never forget how amazing each one of my children were and are.

But, I’ll be perfectly honest. Today, I could happily call the stork and ask for a full refund. That’s right, just pick ‘em all up and take ‘em back to the Baby Store. This product is not what I expected.

The youngest one whined and threw fits all day and acted more like a three year old than a seven year old. I’m sorry, did you forget how to SPEAK!? The middle one also seemed to forget how to use words and simply communicated with heavy sighs all day.  Apparently it was my fault he was sick and couldn’t eat the freshly baked peanut butter cookies.  And the oldest, well, she was being a teenager. She thought basically about herself all day long. This drives me nuts, because I see my own worst self played out in her when she does this. Wow, do I look like this when I get all pouty and selfish? Yuck.

By 8 I’d had enough. That’s it, I don’t care what time it is, just go to bed. That’s right, see ya tomorrow.

Sometimes being a mom is awesome.  We have fun, we laugh, we bond, we love, we cry, we hug, we serve each other.  But, other times, being a mom stinks.  I’m crabby, the kids have attitudes, no one remembers to take out the garbage, I feel like I’m nagging all day long, I just want to give up!

Somehow I don’t think it was any coincidence that my cruddy day came right after Mother’s Day. We had a fantastic day yesterday and I felt loved and appreciated and today, well today it was like my kids used up all their “goodness” yesterday. “Whew, that was a strain, now we can go back to taking advantage of mom.” That’s how it felt anyway.

Maybe you didn’t have a good Mother’s Day at all. Maybe your mom is no longer living, or your relationship with her is strained.  Maybe you are estranged from your daughter or she is rebellious right now.  I don’t know, but I do know that sin and the consequences of it in our family relationships, whether in big issues or little issues can make a mom want to just throw up her hands sometimes and yell, “I Quit!”

“And ^let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we ^do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:9

And so, as moms we press on.  When our feelings are overwhelming we continue to do good in faith, trusting that we will see a harvest of righteousness in our children.  We believe God’s Word when He tells us not to lose heart in doing good. And taking care of our children, teaching them to obey God is doing good!

So, I say to myself, just as much as to my friends in the motherhood trenches with me, don’t lose heart, don’t grow weary. Keep doing good. Your children will be blessed for your hard work for them. And you thought labor was hard work! It was only the beginning!  In faith, keep pressing on with God’s help, for in due time we shall reap!