Bearing and raising children is difficult. But, I wonder, which job is easy? Life is not meant to be comfortable. I live with eternity in perspective, so the day-to-day difficulties seem trivial and very transient. I also have learned that each day is a gift from God and as my life is in His hands and as it says in Psalms 139, I will take whatever each day brings. I pray for His control, trust in His control, seek Him in all things and in every trial, and find that He makes everything beautiful in His time. How do I handle the burdens of each day - by looking to Jesus in everything as my Lord, by putting my spirit in His control and by my heart attitudes. Difficulties come and go, but when I look back, I see God weaving a tapestry – beautiful, wonderful, and worth all the trouble. Psalms 23 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall FOLLOW me all the days of my life.” That’s what I see.

Practically, I try to teach the children responsibility in small chores around the house, instilling in them character qualities of diligence, faithfulness in small things, and an attitude of putting others first. If they are part of this family, they need to do their part in helping around in the home. This takes some of the physical burden off of my shoulders. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been a good thing for the children. My husband has also seen the necessity of supporting me in the physical labor around the house during pregnancy and helps wherever needed.