Weary Mom, If It's Hard You're Doing It Right

Dear Weary Mom,

I wish you could've seen my house two days ago. Dishes sitting in the sink way too long, and rings of disgusting in the toilet and toys strewn throughout our tiny home just waiting to find the center of your foot when you stumble through the living room at 2am toward a crying toddler.

You know. I know you know.

Today is better. I managed to unload the dishwasher just so I could re-load it. Oh, how I hate unloading the dishwasher. All I know is that there aren't dishes in the sink, the bathrooms aren't bio-hazard level dirty and most of the toys have been cleared from the center of the floor. It all seems like a small miracle.

This is a moment. A small moment of stillness in a sea of crazy. A small moment where the hamster wheel slows and I catch my breath. Like that break between contractions. Motherhood is labor and the breaks are few, but just enough so that we can nod to those around us and keep going. Sometimes that is all we get before the week is over and we start all over again.

I heard on the radio the other day a story about the changing roles of men and women in the home and workplace. One of the mothers in the story referred to her desire for a "more challenging career" outside of the home and I had to swallow hard and ball fists tight to keep from erupting in anger. Don't get me wrong, I support working mamas. I'm not arguing about that. I support every one of us who has carried babes in bellies, in hearts and on hips.

I just don't support pitting work against calling.

If motherhood isn't challenging you're not doing it right.

I'm not talking about the laundry and the dishes. Yes, that is a challenge on some days...ok, most days for me, but what I am talking most about is the raising of little people into big, whole hungry-for-Jesus-people. That is a challenge that keeps me on my knees and up later than I should be. 

We're always concerned about if we are mothering "right" and I've said over and over again to anyone who will listen that I don't think there is a "right" way and that all I know is that motherhood is hard. Really hard. All I know is that motherhood is hard, but Jesus is our help.

He calms angry seas and angry teens. He left us His peace and He picks up our pieces.

Weary Mom, if it's hard, you're doing it right.

This post is a part of the all new link-up over at Hope for the Weary Mom. Visit the site and read the other encouraging posts this week!