I saw this handy bit of information on a poster in a maternity store window. The "mom" had a set of teeth the size of an ice-cube tray, and had more skin showing than clothes.. There were no kids hanging from her navel ring, nor did I notice a pot of potatoes boiling over in the background. From her expression, either she had only thought about becoming a mother, or she had just dropped off 4 screaming rug rats for a year at grandma’s.

Yep—you guessed it, honey, motherhood is hot….and messy, and wrinkly. Oh—did I forget smelly, smeary, and sometimes just plain crabby (like the no-nap days). Or, have you ever been in that time zone when you wondered just how long your child had been sitting on the potty, or who was that you just talked to on the phone, or why did you take that meat out of the fridge?

But that’s not every day. What is every day is this: the Lord’s promises—He’s your refuge and strength when you want to escape to a locked bathroom for 3 hours (Ps.46:1). His mercies are fresh every morning—even if you’re looking at a laundry-room full of dirty clothes (Lamentations 3:23).

So the next time your kids cling like a Bounce sheet and you’d like to resign from the job, dig out those verses and do your own clinging.