But God

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 1:1-2

King Solomon was probably feeling pretty empty inside when he wrote the words of Ecclesiastes 1. I confess, there have been days and even seasons when I felt this same level of despair. But God.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 (NLT)

For my first baby’s gender reveal I wore a shirt that said “Thankful Grateful Mama.” Ironically, this would turn into a recurrent struggle for me as a mom. After experiencing postpartum depression after our son, Josiah, was born, I realized I needed more than just medication to become the best mom that I could be. I needed to become a better version of myself, and that could only be accomplished through a partnership with the Holy Spirit and pairing my life with God’s Word.

Because of Jesus, we have an indescribable, everlasting hope to carry with us all the days of our lives. Only Jesus can step in and override our fleeting feelings of hopelessness and exchange them for his love, peace, and thankfulness. 

The Bible encourages us to ask God for His gifts and blessings. He is a generous Father (Luke 11:9-13). Will you pause for just a moment and ask God to meet you today and bless you with joy, encouragement, a sense of purpose as a mom, and soul-deep fulfillment in doing the hard, holy work of a mother?