Posted in Words of Wisdom

Like so many other values, we seem to have lost the value of hard work in this country some time in the past few generations. I confess that I don't love to work hard. But the Lord is changing this in me as well as many other areas of my character. The Lord began my training by teaching me the meaning of this phrase:

Anything worth doing is worth working hard for.

For me, the lesson started in the middle of the night just before Christmas about 2 and a half years ago. At the time I had a 7yo, 4yo, 1yo, and a newborn. My 1yo was still nursing several times a night. My newborn was actually our foster child (whom we were in the process of adopting). He, of course, woke several times a night for feedings (with a bottle). At that time, my husband was working midnights and was unavailable to help with the babies. I was also in the first trimester of pregnancy which caused me to feel more tired than usual. My days were very busy and my nights were very long. My babies rarely woke at the same time; they usually woke in succession. No sooner would I get one back to sleep and fall asleep myself than the other would wake up and need to be fed. I was exhausted! It was a labor of love that the Lord strengthened me for, but I certainly did have difficult nights.

On one particular night, I woke with the newborn who was having a particularly fussy time. His crying awoke the 1yo. I ended up rocking them both in the recliner in the living room. At one point, I was nursing my 1yo while simultaneously feeding my newborn with the bottle. When it came time to burp them, I had one on each shoulder. The newborn began to cry which caused the 1yo to cry. They fed off of each other and just wouldn't stop. It wasn't long before I was crying too. I cried out to the Lord and said, "I need some help. I cannot do this alone. This is just too hard." That beautiful, still small voice spoke to my heart simply, "What's wrong with it being hard?" I was offended! I had expected the Lord to send angels to calm the babies so I could get back to bed. I had hoped he would miraculously change my husband's schedule so he could help me with the bottle-feedings in the middle of the night. I had wished he would send someone over to volunteer to watch my children so I could get a regular nap. But that is not what He did. That is not what He said. He urged me to work hard. He showed me that these beautiful babies were worth the work. He gave me peace and grace and strength to get through this difficult phase. And do you know that just before our next baby was born, both the 1yo (by then almost 2) and the newborn (by then almost 1) both began to sleep through the night. And my husband got off midnights! When the new baby was born, she slept so well I had to wake her for feedings! It took some time, but my sleep was restored.

I now see my responsibilities from a new perspective. When I'm tempted to feel overwhelmed by laundry or to complain about my workload, I am reminded of the words God spoke to me that night. It lifts my spirit and strengthens me for the work at hand. It truly is a joy to work hard, especially when done in love.

~Layla