Finding Joy in the Little Years

Time is fleeting

Recently, I experienced an unexpected feeling at a wedding.  

My sixteen-month-old wiggled next to me in the back of the church auditorium as piano music played. I chewed my fingernails, worried about his behavior during an hour-long ceremony.  

As the bride walked down the aisle, I had a new perspective. I didn’t see myself as a bridesmaid or bride; I pictured myself as the mother of the groom. I imagined my son standing in a tailored suit, hands folded, a fresh rose on his chest, and beaming at his bride. Tears welled in my eyes — one day, someone else may have more influence over him.  

But my tears transformed into a smile when my son squeaked, “Dada,” and my husband walked on stage as a groomsman. I rubbed my toddler’s back and reminded him to sit quietly, and with the help of goldfish, books and the kind mom in front of us, we made it through the ceremony.  

Time is Fleeting

Although I worried about my son’s behavior, the joy of sharing this wedding together was a tangible reminder that life and the seasons of motherhood are fleeting. Solomon echoes this in Ecclesiastes: “To everything there is a season.”1 Right now, the little years feel long, but just like the seasons in nature, they won’t last forever. Time is fleeting, and the Bible exhorts us to use our time wisely. Am I a joyful or stressed mom?  

When I think of using the little years wisely, I’m reminded of Moses and his mother. Moses had a few short years with his mother before spending decades in Pharaoh’s court. Yet, Moses did not conform to the values of Egypt; he continued in the ways of the Lord, as his mother taught him. Moses’s mother found joy in the Lord’s provision, despite the chaos around her. Similarly, are we choosing joy in the little years, even in hard situations?  

After the ceremony, this bittersweet joy was augmented by three glass jars filled with marbles. I noticed these jars on a bookshelf while exiting the church lounge. Each jar had a sign, “You have 936 weeks left with your infant, 676 weeks with your preschooler, and 208 with your teenager.” I was stunned and stressed by how little time I had left. How could I be a joyful mom?

***Read the full article here at MOPS***