Endure

1 Corinthians 9:24 "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it."

I seem to have boxed myself into a theme this past week of endurance, victory, not giving up. I think as mothers we can all say that not a day goes by where we do not feel the need to endure. This is partly the reason for my, "you can do it" attitude. (Okay, I'll admit, I wanted to use this picture of me from the 11th grade. Back then I never thought that I would use my days of XC racing as a life lesson on being a mommy.) Anyway, just so you know, I am not just sharing a word with you but letting you in a little bit on what God has been doing in my own heart. After three weeks of feeling down right cruddy with a head cold and brochitis, I am finally feeling like myself again. When the pressure came to start writing on a regular basis for a devotional blog I was smack in the middle of late night coughing fits, completely blocked sinus passages and, AND an 8 mos. old baby dealing with the same stuff on a lesser scale. No mother can tell me she enjoys being down at the same time someone else in her household suffers. It doesn't allow us to care for our loved one's as well. Energy is lacking and the desire to take up another's needs is just not there. It has been during the past couple weeks that the Lord reminded me of another time in my life, after my second child was born, I was recovering from a c-section and trying to keep up with a 15 mos. old. A friend called me right while I was in the middle of a meltdown. She listened to me cry for a few minutes and then said, "nuh, uh, girl...you get up off that bed right now, you start speaking the Word over your life and you endure! There is no one else who has been called to this task but you and you WILL succeed!" So, I stood up from the bed and I sucked in the tears, raised my chin and started speaking life into my tired body. Let me tell you what, the memory of that moment consumes me with strength because it was packed full of God's truth and not the lie that I am not capable of enduring tough moments.

So, again today I want to encourage you to stand strong, endure this race for the sake of your sweet family. No one else is called to do your job, no one else knows those sweet faces as well as you do, no one knows the way you do, that husband whom you go to bed with every night! You were created for such a time as this and His promise is already manifesting itself in your heart as you take up His will during this season of your life! Run girl, run for the prize!