Enjoying MotherhoodShembull

Enduring for the Joy by Katie Sadler A wise woman endures. Late nights and early mornings are not my cup of tea! I prefer the “early to bed; early to rise makes a man happy, healthy, and wise” motto! However, my children are young adults now and endurance is what I need most. Enduring the fatigue in order to steal a short download of their day or to grab a hug and tell them I love them as they run out the door is worth it! So often I am reminded of how God conditioned me when my children were little. During the middle-of-the-night interruptions, God repeatedly spoke to my heart that they wouldn’t be little for long and reminded me to relish the time even when it was hard. I’m so glad I heeded that lesson with babes, so I can again practice it with the young man and lady living under my roof. Enduring means staying in the hard times: staying awake, staying accessible, staying alert, staying ready, staying the course. Endurance is staying when we want to retreat—when we want to throw in the towel, but deep down we know we should continue. Jesus endured the suffering of the cross because of “the joy set before Him” (Hebrews 12:2). We are the joy! Our being with Him throughout eternity was His joy. What is your joy? Why endure? As you may be nursing a sick child or rocking an infant in the middle of the night, wishing it would all pass quickly—pray. Ask the Lord to remind you of the joy set before you in that situation. If young adults now pass through your door at all hours of the day and night, and if you are feeling fatigue and your joy is suffocated, pray. Ask the Lord to give you the endurance to run the race.