I’m in a really rough season with my firstborn. He’s pretty amazing. He’s smart. He’s wild. He’s so full of life and love for people. He has more energy than any one person I know. But, he has a will as strong as iron. He pushes boundaries. He tests his limits. He challenges me to no end. This season with him has been difficult. All the time I spent guiding him to do what is right, to obey, and to follow directions he is testing and the work seems as if it was pointless. I’ve found myself growing weary and wanting to just give up. After all, do I even know what I am doing? I end many days in tears the moment my husband walks through the door.

But as another day started and it seemed as if the challenges would come again, a still small voice reminded me that this, this right here, it’s why I am home with him. Not only that, but this is exactly why I was chosen to be this little guy’s mom. Whatever it may be, God knew that I could do this, that I could be the mom he needed, because He equipped me to be just that. So I stood up, I took a deep breath, and I pressed on.

I press on daily even though many days I don’t see the fruit. I am here in the midst of this very busy, very testing, very challenging season and I can’t see it getting better.

Have you ever been there? Where the challenge seemed daunting, like it would never end? Like there would never be light at the end of the tunnel?

Maybe it’s the newborn baby who just won’t sleep through the night.

Maybe it’s the toddler who throws tantrums all day.

Maybe it’s the toddler who pushes and tests boundaries.

Maybe it’s the baby who just won’t give you a moment alone.

Maybe it’s the child who is struggling in school.

Whatever it is, it’s hard. Whatever it is, it feels huge. Whatever it is, it feels like it just won’t end.

I get it. In the middle of the storm it’s hard to see the sun. But what I can tell you today, the storm will always end.

One day, you’ll look back and you’ll see that you made it through. You may not know when it happened, you may not know how it happened, but you will know it’s different. One day you will see the fruit of all that you persevered through.

Motherhood, it’s a marathon. It’s exhausting, challenging, pressing, and it takes every bit of perseverance we have. It could be days, weeks, months, years before we see the fruit of our work…but we will see it. There will be a day that comes that the child before us will surprise us in what they have learned and how they have grown. Every hard season can seem endless, but we are in it for the long haul mamas. Much of our work won’t be seen overnight. We are running the marathon of motherhood.

Motherhood is a marathon mama, don’t give up on the way. When you grow weary, know you aren’t alone. Press in. Press forward. Keep running. You’ll make it to the end. Mama, the end will be beautiful, let’s believe that. You can do this.