Slow and steady wins the race. Most of us are familiar with the lesson from the famous fable “The Turtle and The Hare.” Yet how often as mothers do we apply it?
Our day starts with kids needing us, sometimes before our feet even hit the ground. We bounce around from one task to another, sometimes forgoing basic needs like showering or sitting down.
Life with children is demanding at any stage. A lesson I desperately wish I’d learned years ago as a new mom is to pace myself. The days are long, not every minute needs to be filled with productivity and activity.
You can nap with the baby. The dishes will wait.
You can sip that second cup of coffee while the kids play, lessons don’t need to be rushed.
You are allowed to take a moment for yourself throughout the day to rest, relax, and refill your cup. Both figuratively and literally.
We live in a culture that will tell you that burnout is an inevitable truth in motherhood. but that’s a lie. Remember the fable: the hare began the race at full speed and tired out early. But the tortoise kept a steady pace. He stayed the course. It was his consistent effort that pulled him over the finish line, not the speed with which he ran.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Paul talks about running a race. He says that athletes run for a perishable wreath, but we run for an imperishable one. As mothers our ultimate goal is to point our children to Christ, that they may be sanctified and brought to faith.
You were made for this. God gave you these children. He chose you for this vocation. Set your eyes on Him. Slow and steady wins the race.
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