Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.            Galatians 6:9-10

by Kristy Manion

The practice of mothering three young children exercises spiritual muscles I did not know I had.

My single friends and married friends without children have other gymnasiums for Christian formation. But my arena is the circle of these particular relationships, with all their peculiarities and predilections.

The muscles getting special attention just now are the listening to understand muscles. The joy-in-the-moment muscles. The patient, sometimes fierce, correction muscles. The wisdom muscles. The for-the-good-of-the-other muscles.

As a chaplain and pastor, I thought these muscles were in decent shape. Turns out I was wrong.

As a parent, these muscles are used over and over. And over and over. Every. Blessed. Day.

When I grow weary, I hear the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians. I hear G.K. Chesterton’s words from Orthodoxy.

Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, ‘Do it again’; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, ‘Do it again’ to the sun; and every evening, ‘Do it again’ to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.

I am convicted. I am not strong enough to exult in monotony, even as I try to understand what is good and do it for all people, especially those under my roof.

But maybe God is strong enough to exult in monotony. How thankful I am that God does not grow weary in caring for us.

Kristy Manion is is a daughter of God seeking to bring him joy day by day. She is married to Josh, the mother of Micah, Isaac, and Amelia, and serves part-time as the minister of discipleship at LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.