Why We Do What We Do

Some days are harder than others. I know you know what I mean.

Some days, the sun is shining, both literally and figuratively. Your children get along great and help with a sweet spirit, math ‘clicks’ on the first try, and everyone loves what you make for supper.

Other days, not so much.

Those are the days that are gray, inside and out. Those are the days your children can’t seem to go 5 minutes without whining or fighting, their attitudes accuse you of inhumane cruelty when you ask and actually expect them to pick up their dirty clothes, math lessons bring rivers of tears and the crushing “I hate this!” and “I can’t do this!” or maybe even a heartbreaking “I’ll never get this. I’m just too stupid…”

Oh, and multiple children (and maybe your husband) ask if they can have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich rather than eat the supper you made with that new recipe you found on Pinterest.

Those days are harder.

On those hard days, when the tears seem too close to the surface, when anger rises up unwelcome, when you get to thinking it’s all too hard and it feels like none of it even matters anyway…

Stop.

Take a breath.

Look at them.

Those future adults (yes, even the crawling and drooling ones) are growing up before your eyes, and your time with them may feel like an eternity today, but as someone who has a son who recently  turned 20, believe me when I say that they grow up too quickly!

They grow up too quickly, and they need guidance. They need you, yoga pants and all. They need direction from someone who doesn’t always have all of the answers but someone who will always try, and they need to know they aren’t alone on this path. They need to be able to rest in the security that comes from a loving parent that models a loving God.

They need you, doing the best that you can in the moments, all of them, from the pink and sparkly moments of wonder to the dark and dingy moments of life’s harsh and plentiful problems, and every moment in between. When the best that you can do isn’t good enough, because those moments will come, they need you to pray and trust, for His strength is perfect, and He is faithful.

Because the moments matter, whether your home could be featured in House Beautiful or Hoarders.

Today matters, whether your hair is perfectly styled or if it’s unwashed. Again.

You matter, whether you’re an A-list celebrity or a homeschool mom.

Your effort, every ounce of energy you invest in the lives of your children, whether big, small, or somewhere in between, matters.

Because you’re raising arrows, and your hard work today will help them reach their mark tomorrow.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6