Mommy is tired and grumpy- watch out!

Although I may not admit as often as I should, I lose my patience with my children. Lately it seems to be very often, between allergy issues, terrible weather, Marshall's very messy age and long homeschooling days my patience is wearing thin. I find myself apologizing daily(hourly) for losing my temper, as well hearing my words and tone repeated in the way my kids talk to each other, a little humbling and frustrating. We are all getting on each others nerves, just within the half hour of dinner Marshall had spilled blue finger nail polish everywhere, including in his mouth and smeared mashed potatoes through his hair. Mommy is tired and grumpy.

So if you think of it send a little prayer up for my sweet little people as we wait on sunshine, less pollen and summer break. If you are feeling a little tired and grumpy I will leave you with a few paragraphs from a book I have found encouraging.

The task of stewarding children's lives is not a short-term process. There is no quick list of rules that can be followed in one short year that will ensure success. The mission of motherhood requires grit. It requires perseverance. And that often means years of repetitious and mundane tasks, years of repeating yourself, years of wondering whether anything you do or say makes a difference. " Clean up your room!" " Please talk to your sister kindly!" 

Where do we get this kind of endurance? It's part of understanding the job of motherhood and plain old stubbornness always help too. We must chose to believe that God himself will reward our choices and efforts to raise a godly heritage for his glory. It is for him and his purposes that we must endure, trusting that he who promised is faithful. 

I have to trust that though I am constantly confronted by my children's immaturity as well as my own, the seeds of my training and my years of watering the love, faith, and prayers will indeed someday mature the fruit of a godly character. My hope is in the unchanging character of God-that indeed he will reward my faith efforts to obey him. He himself will build both them and me into all we need to know and be.

The Mission Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

"Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised." Hebrews 10:35-36