Theme for 2023: Be Faithful

I have been trying to type this post for almost two weeks now, but being a new mama often means choosing between getting sleep and working on a writing project. Nine times out of ten, sleep wins out. Whoever instructed a new mother to sleep when the baby sleeps wasn’t wrong.

Even when I choose writing after our little boy’s bedtime, my plans don’t always work. Our sweet son struggles with “false starts” where he wakes about an hour into his night’s sleep.

Yes, sleep is a struggle for us both right now, but ironically, my perpetual tiredness is a reminder of how blessed I am. My baby boy is a daily reminder of God’s faithfulness in my life and a reminder of my calling to be faithful.

Faithful to what?

• Faithful to my Savior and my daily walk with Him
• Faithful to my husband and loving him well
• Faithful to my baby boy and being the best mama I can be
• Faithful to the family and friends God has blessed me with
• Faithful to my calling as a writer and what that looks like in this new stage of life
• Faithful to my calling as an educator

This list looks tidy, doesn’t it? But the truth is, juggling it all is messy.

Just like my little boy’s bedtime. In a perfect world, he would fall asleep and stay asleep. But sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes, he needs a little more help falling asleep. He’s not the only one in need of help.

Faithfulness is both attitude and action.

Being faithful means showing up for service even when I’d rather hit snooze and pretend the world doesn’t exist. But faithfulness also involves my attitude.

Do I grumble when I tackle the sink full of dirty baby bottles or complain about all the chores waiting for me when I log off work? Do I whine that I have only a few precious moments to write in the evening instead of relishing the precious time I have with my husband and baby before then?

Yes, faithfulness is just as much action as attitude. And so often, attitude is where I trip up. I catch myself muttering when I should be praising God. What I’ve found is that when I praise God when something is going wrong, my perspective shifts. The “wrong” isn’t such an obstacle any more. God can overcome anything I’m tempted to fret about.

My job isn’t to “fix” all my problems. It’s to be faithful and trust God to move as He sees best.

Easier said than done.

But whatever God has called us to, He is faithful to see us through. “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it” (I Thessalonians 5:24 NKJV).

I’m called to be a wife, mama, teacher, writer, and so on. You are called to your own unique place with your own list of responsibilities.

Let’s be faithful. As Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

One day, I think we’ll look back and realize the small things were the great things. I pray I will do them with great love.

Happy (belated) New Year.

~ Kristen