So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12
I recently read an article about a mother who fills jars with marbles to represent each of her kids and how many weeks they have left at home before they turn 18. She removes a marble from each of the jars every week to signify that time with her children being over. She says “because I know my weeks are numbered, I tend to make what matters matter more.”
I washed a full load of my son’s laundry the other day and I was honestly amazed at how little stain treating I had to do. He is 8 now and it was the first time I had the thought that perhaps he is growing up a bit past the stage where everything must get dirty within and hour of him putting it on. I held one of his shirts up and thought about how one day his wife will be doing his laundry and will I have treasured the time that I got to do it?
For as hard as mothering is, it is really only but a breath and then it is over. Not that we will cease to be mothers but that we will have done the work of mothering for our share of time.
I hear over and over mothers saying “It goes by in a blink.” and I blink wishing it away because it’s hard and I’m tired.
May we remember to number our days. To count the legos on the floor and handprints on the wall with a heart bent towards the eternal impact that we make. May our prayer be that God would drive eternity into our hearts so that eternity would drive us in all that we do as mothers.
May we have endurance because it all matters and it’s all so short a time. This is my prayer today as I seek to be excellent in mothering.
