Grace full mama

Do you ever feel like the work you do as a mama is invisible and a little redundant? Yeah… me too. We are raising little people, and we know that it is an incredibly noble calling, but still, the onslaught of laundry, suppers to be made, fights to break up and settle, and bums to wipe feels endless. Sometimes I watch my husband as he accomplishes tangible things, and I feel a little bit resentful. I can ask him “What did you do today?” and he will be able to tell me “I finished building the chicken tractor, did some yard cleanup, and built a pen for the new foal.” I can never seem to give a succinct list. I did umteen loads of laundry, tidied everything AGAIN (not that you can tell now), made food that is now devoured, cuddled, soothed, mediated… It feels thankless, doesn’t it?

I know I “grow weary” in well doing as a mama. And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9. The greek word “eklyomai” is originally expressed in this verse both as “grow weary” and “lose heart.” Eklyomai literally means the opposite of “belt up,” or “tighten the belt” to do work. So it means something like “to loosen the belt, grow limp, or grow weary.” So, mama’s, let’s belt up and prepare for the harvest!

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. Phillipians 2 14-15

Take heart! What you are doing is not so invisible as you might think. Having said that, I have learned a few tricks to validate the mama role in a practical way.

1. Write down everything you do as you do it. It is a little bit like an after the fact list. We mamas often forget to put the daily stuff on our to do lists, just putting the big extra stuff down and then being upset with ourselves for “not accomplishing anything.” It’s the daily stuff that takes up most of our time. So write it down. Show your husband afterwards if you need even more validation.
2. Take on your day like a true professional. Dress for the job. Your first job in the morning is to get yourself ready, showered, and dressed in day clothes. You are never going to feel like you accomplished anything if you spend the day in sweat pants or pjs. Have respect for your mama career.
3. Treat your job like a job. Schedule yourself breaks and time them. Don’t get caught in a rabbit hole of endless scrolling on your phone or seasons on TV. Don’t do anything you would fire someone else for.
4. Plan ahead. I am still trying hard to get better at this one! Plan what you are making for supper ahead of time. Plan what your main focus in a day is going to be ahead of time too! Of course sometimes you are going to have to be flexible, some days are spent holding our fussy babies, and that is part of the job too.
5. If you still feel you need some validation, do a little research. Look into what a live in nanny would cost. Now look into the cost of a daily housekeeper. If you live on a farm of sorts, figure out what you would have to pay to have someone do your chores every day. See? What you are doing is valuable indeed!

Our beautiful new filly in the pen my bush man made for her. Enjoy the fruits of your labors mamas, whether it is a win in child training, a compliment on your kid’s behaviour, a beautiful garden harvest, or a gorgeous foal. Pull back a little from the hard stuff and see the big picture, and savour the blessings of God! Belt up for your work, and do it without grumbling or complaining! Shine like a star in the middle of this warped generation.