What excites me about motherhood?
Certainly not the sleepless nights.
Certainly not the toy-dumping rampages.
Certainly not the urgent morning baths or the tantrums or the sink full of dirty dishes.
Or, could they? Possibly?
How do we wake up cheerful, happy, ready to see our people and serve them regardless of the situation?
How do we pen in (not just pencil in) pockets of time for creating or reading or conversing… you know, the activities that feel a little more “adult” and a dash of happy?
Because I’m convinced, when we are able to see little sparks of happy flicker in our lives, the hard, servant-focused moments aren’t quite so dim.
Happiness is contagious.
I could hear Zack’s tone of voice from our bedroom and immediately it spun me to the right mindset.
Breakfast was needing to be made, so I gathered the ingredients for something simple yet tasty, and the girls and I got to work. We have a table in our kitchen which is the perfect surface for tiny helpers. We have a chair in our kitchen which is just wide enough for two sets of knees, eager to stir and spill ingredients.
When we use these two pieces of furniture, I feel happy.
We all need to eat, to be fed and filled up with goodness. And not just nutrition, but the Lord’s goodness.
I don’t always think of myself as an adult. As “the adult” when I’m home with my children. But it’s absolutely up to me to set the tone for our day and time together. I need to be prepared. I need to bring happiness to the table. I need to remember, “yes this is hard — it is supposed to be hard!” Because serving others and fighting against what feels natural (disobedience or selfishness) is hard.
But you know what shouldn’t be hard? Resting in the little happy moments, which make up the hours of our day, which add to the tally sheet of our weeks, which we then use to fill in the life chart as the years pass.
I hope we’re using our most cheerful markers here, because these moments are solid and real, and in their own way, permanent.
Look for the happy! Keep your eyes pressed towards seeing the colorful marks on your chart.
You are the adult. You set the tone. Be sure to grab a cheerful marker as you go about your day!
And cheers to the happy:)
