Our fall favorites are here! 🍂

There’s no glory in changing diapers.

There’s no glory in refereeing arguments.

There’s no glory in picking your toddler’s dinner up off the floor.

There’s no glory in hauling the kids to and from practices and activities and playdates.

There’s no glory in cleaning spit up off your shirt . . . again.

There’s no glory in helping your kids with homework.

There’s no glory in rinsing out yet another blowout-stained onesie in the bathroom sink.

There’s no glory in changing wet sheets in the middle of the night.

There’s no glory in cluster feeding.

There’s no glory in showing up to every game, rain or shine, without fail.

There’s no glory in handling that tantrum at the grocery store.

There’s no glory in navigating the carpool line.

There’s no glory in scrubbing projectile vomit out of the car seat.

There’s no glory in packing homemade lunches every single day.

There’s no glory in soaking pee up out of the carpet.

There’s no glory in teaching your teenager to drive.

There’s no glory in making food that your kids refuse to eat.

There’s no glory in doing all the laundry.

Washing all the dishes.
Sweeping all the floors.
Dusting all the tables.
Cleaning all the mirrors.
Wiping all the windows.
Picking up all the toys.

There’s no glory in any of it.

There’s no one patting you on the back for all that you do.
There’s no parade in your honor.
There’s no party thrown.
There’s nothing.

Because motherhood, this grueling, tiresome, exhausting, never-ending, oftentimes thankless work—it’s not about you or your glory.

It’s about Him. It’s about His glory.

Each and every time that you do something for your family that you feel has gone unnoticed, He notices. He marvels at your selflessness, at your ability to do the dirty work without any recognition for the sake of those you love most.

And in that, He is glorified.

In all your hauling and cleaning and scrubbing and making and crafting and teaching and loving and doing, His name is lifted high.

And I promise you, sweet mama, when your actions glorify Him, it’s infinitely more fulfilling than if they were to glorify you or your name.

So I know it feels like there’s no glory in motherhood. And I know that, sometimes, it feels like it’s all for naught.

But rest assured, it’s all worth it. It’s all for a reason. It’s all with great purpose.

His purpose.

Originally published on Kisses From Boys with Krista Ward

 

You may also like:

Is Satan Stealing Your Motherhood?

Just Because It’s a Hard Season Doesn’t Mean You’re a Bad Mother

Take That Break Before You Break, Mama

Want more stories of love, family, and faith from the heart of every home, delivered straight to you? Sign up here!

So God Made a Mother book by Leslie Means

If you liked this, you'll love our new book, SO GOD MADE A MOTHER available now!

Order Now

Krista Ward

Krista is a former teacher turned stay-at-home mom to three insanely precious little boys, Hudson, Jones, and Royce. She is married to her best friend and high school sweetheart, Randy, who is the peanut butter to her chocolate. Krista hopes to be a light and joy to the world, especially other mamas feeling stuck in the daily grind, through her writing.

In His Hand

In: Faith, Motherhood
Hand of adult holds hand of child with field and sunshine in background

The July sun was turning the sky orange when my 2-year-old son and I headed out to the chicken coop. As we shuffled along in our rubber boots, I smiled at him while mentally making a list of all the things I needed to do that evening: do the dishes, wash my husband’s work clothes, finish that online research, pull weeds in the garden. I also thought about my friend who is hurting, a family member with a health problem, and how hard my husband works. I sighed quietly, feeling the familiar feeling of disappointment in myself that I can’t stay...

Keep Reading

Look for Contentment Where You Are Today

In: Faith, Living
Family sitting on couch at home

When my husband and I were first married, we rented a run-down place that didn’t cost much. It certainly wasn’t a dream home. Honestly, I was less than thrilled about renting in the first place. I expected that we would buy a house when we got married. That’s what my parents did. That’s what many people I went to high school with were doing. But my husband and I were 21 and 22 when we got married, fresh out of college. We were still waiting for my husband to land his first teaching job, so we weren’t financially ready to...

Keep Reading

All I Could Do Was Make It to Church Today

In: Faith, Motherhood
Close up of man holding baby in his arms in church pew with kids in background

All I can do is make it to church today. It was the final thought that shut the door on all the other thoughts this morning. The thoughts that said I don’t look good enough. I should put on makeup. I should wear something nicer. I should find a way to paint my nails without them getting smudged up from holding a baby before they dry. The thoughts that said I am not doing good enough. I should have made supper last night. I shouldn’t have used that glass pan that shattered in the oven while trying to steam bake...

Keep Reading

It’s Time to Talk about the Crushing Weight of Motherhood

In: Faith, Motherhood
Mother and three children, color photo

As millennial women and mothers, we have been making waves in the sea of mental health. We have unashamedly and unapologetically shared our postpartum depression and anxiety stories so that future generations won’t feel as though they’re drowning in the weight of it all.  I remember sitting in my living room, staring at my newborn, crying in frustration and fear that I was already failing him.  I remember the pain of trying to use the bathroom for the first time after labor, to have family suddenly stop by, and feeling so embarrassed I screamed and they left, ultimately leaving me...

Keep Reading

Kids Need Grace and So Do Their Moms

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood, Toddler
Woman touching child's forehead

We were having a hard morning. Our house was overrun with toys, I hadn’t had a chance to get dressed, and my stress level was increasing by the minute. To top it all off, my 3-year-old was having a meltdown anytime I spoke to her. Even looking in her general direction was a grave mistake. It was one of those days that as a parent, you know you’re really in for it. I was quickly losing my patience. My frustration began to ooze out of me. I snapped orders, stomped around, and my attitude quite clearly was not pleasant to...

Keep Reading

A Mother Doesn’t Have to Be Prepared to Be Sustained

In: Baby, Faith, Motherhood
Mother cuddling baby on a bed

I feel the warmth radiating from my weeks-old baby girl’s body onto my lap. She sleeps soundly. But I can’t. My jaw is clenched, my forehead is wrinkled, my body is tense. I’ve been in complete survival mode. Our baby girl unexpectedly made her appearance one month early due to some placental deficiencies and was born at three and a half pounds. I wasn’t prepared.  When I saw my sweet girl, my heart was instantly taken over by immense love and immense fear. Fear grabbing me with every thought, every breath. I wasn’t prepared.  She spent some time in the NICU but not...

Keep Reading

A Love That Will Never Leave You

In: Faith, Living
Cover art of book Pilgrim by Ruth Chou Simons

My firstborn spent a semester abroad in his junior year of college. Like any mom who’s separated from her child, I knew the exact distance between him and me those months he was away. It felt like a million miles, but it was actually only 4,533, including one very large body of water. While he was away, we weren’t even on the same continent, and truthfully, I hadn’t expected the ache to be so overwhelming. Thankfully, our weekly chats on video eased the sadness and served to remind me that, in spite of miles and time zones, there was no...

Keep Reading

I’ll Always Be the One Who Loved Them First

In: Faith, Motherhood, Teen
Family with three small boys standing in kitchen, color photo

I’m no longer the last person he says goodnight to. That’s a hard pill to swallow. Here we are, just raising these boys, hoping and praying things over their futures, watching them grow, teaching them independence and other life skills, hoping they have heard the things we have said, and praying they make our faith their faith and choose to follow Jesus. And then, just like that, without any warning, without asking my permission, there is someone special in his life. Someone he spends hours on the phone with. Someone he wants to spend his time with. Someone who isn’t...

Keep Reading

Thank You God for Everyday Heroes

In: Faith, Living
Firefighter in gear walking, black-and-white photo

Tonight, our family watched a movie together. It was an action-adventure movie where, against unbelievable odds, the good guy saves the day. At some point during the movie, I turned to my husband, and said, “You’re that guy—the guy that is good in a crisis, who saves the day.” Once, when my husband and I were out for dinner, a woman seated near us fainted and was lying on the floor. The waiters and waitresses ran to her aid but didn’t know what to do. My husband is a firefighter/EMT. He had gone outside to grab a sweater, and when...

Keep Reading

Dear Daughter, about That Other 4-Letter Word

In: Faith, Kids, Motherhood
Portrait of a beautiful little girl in blue shirt

As my kindergartner came bounding through the door back from the park, she seemed ecstatic to tell me all about her adventure, but what came from her sweet mouth was not the usual tale of making friends or playing make-believe. Instead, she stared up at me and said, “A little boy called me ugly.”  As I tried to assess her thoughts on the matter, her big brother was quickly confirming the story and acknowledging to me that it was not a very nice thing to say. As I looked at my husband coming in the door behind them, I could...

Keep Reading