Enjoying Motherhood Not Just Surviving It

Get up early. Change diapers. Make breakfast. Do laundry. Change more diapers. Make lunch. Vacuum. Make dinner. Give baths. Clean up toys for the tenth time. Go to bed.

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Moms, I know the days can feel like “Groundhog Day” where every time the alarm rings, you feel like you are reliving the exact same day over and over again.

When my 2nd daughter was born, I decided to leave my full-time job in the banking industry and stay home with both of my girls.

Like all changes, I knew there would be an adjustment period. Leaving a professional job for sweatpants, ponytails, infrequent showers, and endless repeats of the same video was drastic to say the least.

There were days when I wondered if I had made a mistake. Once vibrant and successful in my career, I now felt isolated and alone in this unfamiliar and demanding new experience.

In the concrete jungle of the business world, staying at home looked like the green pastures of Psalm 23, and it lured me with its siren song. As with many changes in life, what I imagined didn’t line up with reality.

After a couple of months, I began to slip deeper into the miry clay of the mundane. Was this going to be my life for the next 16-18 years? That thought terrified me.

As I went to the Lord in prayer about this, what He revealed to me was that I was missing the accolades of the secular, and I was overlooking the blessings in the sacred.

I had a heart problem. I had an attitude problem.

Perhaps you find yourself in the same dilemma. Motherhood has started to feel like a job and not a vocation. If you are struggling with not enjoying motherhood but only surviving it, here is a suggestion, from my own experience, on how God softened my heart and changed my attitude.

Store Up Your Treasures in Heaven

In Matthew 6: 20-21 (ESV), Jesus admonishes us, “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I know that you are pouring yourself into your children every day in a hundred different ways. I also know that most of what you do is unnoticed by anyone else. There are no congratulatory emails, no raises, no bonuses, and no plaques on the wall for “employee of the month.”

These are things of the world. They are nice to receive, but they are fleeting, and they do not last. Every meal you make, every face you wipe, every bible story read, every kiss goodnight, is a priceless treasure, a heavenly treasure.

It is important to focus on the big picture. It can be so easy to get lost in the monotonous day-to-day chores that you can’t see the finished painting within the brushstrokes. Ask yourself, what will I remember about this time with my kids in the years to come?

I can tell you from experience that it is not the mopping of the floors or the tantrums that stay with you when your children are grown. Don’t get so lost in the routine that you miss the reward for your hard work and dedication.

My oldest daughter is now 23 and an accountant for a credit union. The other day, out of the blue, she sent me a text message to tell me what a great mom I am and how thankful she was that I raised her to be a good and kind person who shows respect to all people, who has a good work ethic, who loves the Lord.

The Big Picture!

Each day of her life has been like pieces of yarn that were woven together, year after year, to create the tapestry of who she now is. In the moment, you can only see the single stitches, but one day you will see the beauty of what you worked so hard to piece together.

This is the legacy. This is what makes it all worthwhile. This is where your treasure lies!

16th-century monk, Jean Pierre de Caussade, declared in his book, “The Sacrament of the Present,” to “never look for the holiness of things, but rather look for the holiness in things, and 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,”

Can you find praise in the little things? Can you find contentment in service? Can you see His glory in all things?

Worship is not only found in eloquent songs on the mountaintop. It can be found wiping little noses and soothing frequent tears. Success is not only found in the board room; it can also be discovered in the board game.

And Mom, please remember to give yourself some grace. You are going to make mistakes. You are going to have bad days. You are going to have days where you want to find holiness in everything, and it just doesn’t come.

Thankfully, God’s mercies are new every morning.

For me, as God began to show me the truths that I have shared with you, my attitude slowly began to change. I could feel the Lord pulling me out of the miry clay and then using that clay to mold me, shape me, and transform me into His likeness. I became closer to my Heavenly Father, and I became a better earthly mother.

God doesn’t want us just to survive motherhood; He wants us to thrive! When the alarm blazes and you wonder if you can do it all over again, remember that this is a time you are supposed to be enjoying, not dreading.

Remember, where your heart is, there your treasure will be!

Blessings as you enjoy being a mom,

Susie O’Neal & the Help Club for Moms team

Susie O'Neal
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2 Comments on “Enjoying Motherhood Not Just Surviving It”

  1. Thank you, Susie, for the encouragement. “In the moment, you can only see the single stitches, but one day you will see the beauty of what you worked so hard to piece together,” yet not us entirely but the grace of God at work in and through us fully.

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