“Mama! Mama!” my almost two-year-old son hollered from his bed, a big grin plastered over his face.
“You’re supposed to sleep now, buddy,” I said, arms folded and eyebrow raised.
He shook his head no, reached his chunky arms up at me, and then pointed at the bedroom door. I knew trying to make sleep happen before he was ready was a battle. I had no energy for tonight, so I picked him up, and we walked out into the living area.
After thirty minutes of running laps around the kitchen, complete with belly laughter, giggles, and smiles, he was finally ready for bed.
As I nursed him to sleep, a scene from my single years flashed in my mind. Those were the years when I had more time to serve in the church, sit and spend uninterrupted time with the Lord, and sit with friends, listening and encouraging them.
When you’re a mom of littles, it can feel like your life is a never-ending cycle of teaching, instructing, cleaning, changing diapers, cooking, dishes, and laundry. Your children demand your time and attention, and when you’re banking on just 30 minutes of solitude before they wake up or after they go to sleep, they can surprise you by deciding they need some more snuggles, want to wake up early, or just need to run laps around the kitchen.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV tells us, “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Motherhood is a season that has many seasons within it. As our children grow, what they need from us changes, and we never really know what they need from one day to the next. It’s a season of relying on the Lord to give us the wisdom to mother our kids well.
Mothering in the early years feels especially demanding, with our kids depending on us for basically everything.
But, it is just a season, and in the scheme of life, a short one at that.
The first three years of a child’s life impact the rest of their years on earth in massive ways. It’s a time when a mother’s touch, love, nurturing, and time pour like a constant waterfall into the pool of your child’s heart, mind, and soul.
In this season of outpouring, be encouraged, Mama, that this work matters. You are investing in a child God the Father entrusted to you, and you are laying the foundation for a child who knows their worth and value with every hug, snuggle, and late-night rocking back to sleep.
The service in your home to your children is no less than service outside of it. In many ways, serving in your home is like going into a secret place where only the Father sees you praying. You’re not on a stage; you’re not serving in church where many people might see your gifts. You serve in the late night and early hours when everyone else is asleep, and the world is quiet.
The Father sees you. He sees your care and the love you give to your children, and He is ever ready to fill you up with love, patience, and joy when all of yours has run out.
Dear friend, lean into your Father as you pour into the ones He has trusted you to mother.
About the Author:
Kirstin Tatagiri is a former expat and teacher who uses her skills in project management. She has been writing since childhood and enjoys writing to encourage women in their walks with Jesus. In 2014, she self-published a book of poetry titled “Sing of My Joys” when she was living in South Korea. Now, as a mama of two littles, she writes in the cracks and cronies of time, seeking ways to cultivate her relationship with the Lord and her creativity in the beautiful, mundane rhythms of life.
Connect with Kirstin:
https://www.instagram.com/kirstin.creates/
