I love babies.
I love everything about them—their sweet smell, their fuzzy little heads, and those absolutely captivating giggles. I love holding them, feeding them, bathing them, playing with them, and comforting them.
I even love changing diapers.
Or at least I did when I had babies of my own to change. I no longer have any babies, but once upon a time, I had nine. Not all at once, mind you, but one by one by one.
Psalm 127: 3, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”
Nine little ones might seem like a lot to some folks but to me, honestly, it just never seemed like a lot to me. I miss the days when they were all little and still at home, before life carried us into other seasons. Those days passed far more quickly than I ever imagined they would.
I miss holding my little ones close. I miss caring for them, listening to their stories, and tucking them into bed. I was blessed to be their mama. I was blessed to serve them, even when I was exhausted, sick, overwhelmed, or longing for a few quiet moments to myself.
That does not mean those days were always easy. Motherhood can stretch a woman beyond what she thought she could bear. But even in the weariness, there is a great privilege: the Lord enables us to care for little ones who cannot care for themselves.
See, little ones have no way to make themselves comfortable. Babies can’t nurse themselves or comfort themselves when they are afraid. They can’t calm themselves down when they are way too tired and grumpy. There’s nothing they can do to make their own sticky hands clean, they can’t change their own clothes if they are too hot or uncomfortable. They cannot burp themselves. And, it goes without saying, there’s no way at all that they can change their own diapers. If these things are going to be done, they are going to be done by someone else.
Usually, that someone is Mama.
And although this work may sometimes feel small, repetitive, or unnoticed, it is not insignificant. In the sweetest and most ordinary ways, a mother is learning to serve. She gets up when she would rather remain in bed. She feeds another before feeding herself. She comforts, cleans, carries, sings, prays, and gives of herself again and again.
Through these humble acts of love, the Lord teaches us something about the beauty of service. Our Savior did not come to be ministered unto, but to minister. When we care for our helpless little ones, we have an opportunity to follow His example in the place where He has called us.
What a beautiful, precious, thought.
God allows a mother to practice faithful service through the everyday work of loving her children. And sometimes, in the middle of all that work, He rewards her with the sweetest smiles and most delightful baby giggles in the world.
Children are a blessing. God says so, and it is well past time for His people to believe Him and joyfully embrace the blessing of children again.
Psalm 127: 3-5, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.”
Mama, when you are tired and must get up yet again to feed, change, or comfort your little one, remember that he will not remain a baby for long.
One day, he will sleep through the night.
One day, he will no longer need you to feed him, dress him, or carry him from room to room.
One day, you may find yourself looking back and wondering how those years slipped away so quickly.
So when your baby wakes in the night, hold him close. Breathe in that sweet baby smell. Study his tiny fingers and soft cheeks. Treasure the weight of him in your arms. When your precious little one needs another diaper change, smile and thank God for the privilege of caring for her, and reach for the baby wipes.
And on the days when you are too tired to smile, remember that weariness does not make you ungrateful or ungodly. Ask the Lord for strength. Receive help when it is offered. Rest when you are able. Then continue faithfully, one small act of love at a time.
Sisters, let us rejoice in the blessings of our motherhood. There are women whose arms ache for a baby they have never been able to hold. There are mothers who grieve children they have lost. There are babies who have never known the safety and tenderness they ought to have received.
These sorrows should make us more grateful, but they should also make us more compassionate. Encourage the exhausted mother. Pray for the mother who needs encouragement, prayer, practical help, and the reminder that her quiet service matters greatly to God. Do what you can to be the helper, the encourager, that she needs.
And then, the next time your little one needs you, remember how blessed you truly are. You have been entrusted with a precious child, an eternal soul, to love and serve.
Through your songs, prayers, words, correction, gentle love, and daily example, you are teaching that child moment by moment and day by day. May you teach him not merely about service, but about the supreme Servant—the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us thank the Lord for the blessing of children and for the sacred privilege of caring for them.
Soli Deo Gloria—in everything!
Anna
