When Enjoying Motherhood Doesn’t Come Easily
Morning dawns with humidity hanging thick and heavy like a rain-soaked curtain. I’m tired after thunderstorms kept the youngest awake in the night, and I don’t want to face this day. These are the days when enjoying motherhood doesn’t come easily.
I arise from bed, and in the first moments of the day, nothing goes smoothly.
Children argue over who gets to pick the TV show, complain about my choice of cereal, and grumble about why the milk tastes funny.
I don’t dare tell them that we ran out, and I pulled the emergency rations of dehydrated milk from the tin in the cupboard. Lord, help us all.
It’s not just expression today. I mean it with all my heart: Lord, help us all.
When You’re Not Enjoying Motherhood
As I gaze out the window, a familiar invitation washes over me with the cool June breeze: Find just one moment to cherish.
I immediately remember the summer our third child was born. God spoke this same word, cherish, to my heart.
He led me on a journey of learning to find moments to cherish.
I learned to cherish everyday mornings with toys strewn across the floors, cartoons on the TV, and poplar leaves dancing out the window.
I slowed down to embrace afternoons along lakeshores with little feet splashing through waves.
Evenings along creeks watching flies rise off of the black water became invitations to savor fleeting moments of beauty.
I claimed the word cherish as my assignment for the season. Not an empty sink, a clean floor, folded laundry, perfect meals, or clutter-free corners.
Today, I’m reminded that this is still my great assignment.
I don’t have to be the perfect mother or love every moment of this day. But I can find moments to cherish.
When You’re Not Enjoying Motherhood, Find a Single Moment to Cherish
Weary mom, you don’t have to cherish every moment of this day either. But you can find one moment. You can turn from the chores and look into the shining eyes of your child. You can smile about the mealtime chaos and remember that this season feels unending, but it won’t last forever.
Every moment today won’t be easy, but there will be beautiful moments woven into the tapestry of this day.
Watch for the beautiful moments.
Maybe life would stay a little slower, a little fuller, if we all lived with this mindset of watching for beauty. . .
If we paused to watch leaves dance in the wind.
Pulled off of the road to watch sunsets.
Put down the phone to watch children play.
Put off laundry to push little bodies on swings in the backyard.
Slowed down amid even the hard parts of our days to give thanks for another day to live and breathe and encounter God.
As we step into the new routines of summer with kids stretching long on our couches, asking to use our devices, and sometimes pushing our limits, may this be our mantra: This season will not last as long as it seems; find a moment to cherish today.
This season will not last as long as it seems; find a moment to cherish today. #cherish #savor Click To TweetDon’t beat yourself up because you’re not enjoying motherhood in every moment.
Just find one moment.
Cherish the moment in the yard with the sprinklers.
Savor the trip to the ice cream shop and the hilarity of the mess.
Cherish the afternoon spent splashing in puddles or the way the little one snuggles the dog.
You might just discover that this mindset changes your summer and your life.
A Free Devotional for the Weary Mom Who Wants Help Enjoying Motherhood
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