The tediousness of mothering small children has one lovely cure: playdates. A chance for us to stick our toddlers in a room together, hand them sippies and goldfish while we drink sweet iced coffee, eat chocolate, and chat. The children learn to socialize and the moms lift one another up out of our mutual frustrations with motherhood. There is no more happy time than a successful playdate.
I have decided my soul needs a playdate of its own.
Trekking up these mountains God has led me to has sobered me in ways I really needed. Exposure to the deep physical need in poor communities, the deep emotional need in all people, and the unfairness of life has given me a greater gratitude for my own blessings. Awareness of the weight of the gospel in my own life and the need I have for humility has drawn the roots of my love for God into veins of living water I never knew existed.
I am happy to climb the sobering hills of reality. Sometimes, though, we all need a good dose of gladness.
To enjoy life and labor is a rare gift. Most people I know are “workin’ for the weekend”. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but wouldn’t it be amazing to be “occupied with gladness of heart”? To find satisfaction in the work I do would do my soul good, and I think my soul would do more good for the world in return.
Christianity requires a complicated balance of humility and boasting. At the cross we are both wretches and royalty. We are simultaneously the people who crucified Christ and the people for whom He willingly died.
Certainly, he died to bless us with abundant life. How can we not smile when surrounded by abundant blessings?
It’s Friday, and I am smiling at my plans for the weekend.
This weekend I am going to enjoy my husband and my children. I will whistle while I paint our bathroom. I will tell my children silly jokes. I will read an old, favorite book and eat carrot cake.
And next week I will do dishes, sweep crumbs, find lost shoes, and do a million other tedious things knowing all the while that I do them because I love my family. I will be glad on Monday to take my children to the pool and my smile will be the bright spot in their day. I will text my husband pictures of the joyous little people he loves so much and works so hard for. I will bake cookies for them all and we will think of an excuse to light candles and sing just so we can blow them out.
This is my life. I won’t take it for granted or let its difficulties wear me down. It is a precious gift and I am determined to enjoy it.
