Joy and the thief

Yesterday was a day where just surviving was really good enough. It's been hard to accept that there are many days where i need a nap more than i need to mop the (quite disgusting) floor, but I'm getting better about it. Things that don't help: thinking "if it's this hard while our second baby is still in utero, how will I survive after she's born?" And of course, the hardest one of all for me: "Other moms manage to have it together better than me." I believe that's true, but i also believe it doesn't matter -- God doesn't look at other people and then at me and say i should really stop being so exhausted and just get it together. Of course there are LOTS of great moms i want to be more like (including my own), but the person i should really want to be like is Christ. If i have to take two naps a day but am developing patience and kindness and self-control when I'm taking care of a sweet, tired, fussy little girl and slowly facing down the stacks of dirty dishes, it's not a wasted day. Otherwise, it doesn't really matter how much I cross off my list.

Which doesn't necessarily make things *easier*, but i'm a lot more encouraged to persevere when I remember that!