My kids tickle me pink lately. My three-year-old, Eli, keeps me laughing all day long with his constant major league baseball re-enactments and endless questions of “why?” My one-year-old, Noble, has a new “first” every day. (Today, it was saying the word “grapes.”) Watching him transform from baby to big boy is a thrill. But . . . I haven’t always felt this way.
Motherhood is tough. That’s an understatement! Let me try again—motherhood is like running a marathon uphill in your church shoes (because your toddler used your sneakers as playmates in a recent game of hide-and-seek). When looking at the big picture, being a mom looks pretty great, but navigating life among endless dirty diapers, discipline hurdles, potty training, and runny noses can choke out the joy of parenting pretty easily.
What I’ve found is that this is an area where I need to grab onto God’s Truth and hold on for dear life. Psalm 127:3-5 says,
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”
How does this passage describe children? As a heritage from the Lord, a reward, and a blessing. In Genesis 33:5, Jacob describes his children as a gracious gift from God. Jesus Himself knew that children were a worthy investment of His time, and chastised His disciples for squelching their childlike faith (Matt. 19:13).
These are biblical points that look nice in cross-stitch, but are difficult to remember when the day in, day out strain of parenting starts to pile up on our shoulders. But when we forget that our children are a gift, we get discouraged, depressed, overwhelmed, and cranky. In fact, that is the exact state I found myself in most of the time during my first two years as a mom.
What changed? I simply made the choice to believe what God says about my kiddos, and to delight in my children because I know they’re a gift. We have a million opportunities to choose Truth every day. Choosing to live like I believe the specific Truth that my children are a blessing has made a huge difference in my life as a mother.
So, when my kids throw a tantrum (usually in front of a large crowd at church), I remind myself that my kids are a heritage from the Lord. When my house looks like it’s been turned upside down, I think about the fact that Eli and Noble are my reward, and that they matter so much more than spic ’n span floors. When I’d rather sleep in than dish out Cheerios before the sun rises, I focus on the fact that every morning with my kids is a blessing.
The bottom line is that delighting in our children is a choice. It’s a mothering lesson I wish I had learned sooner, but one I choose to remind myself of every time parenting gets hairy.
What delights you about your kids? What part of God’s Truth about children do you need to hold on tightly to today?
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