Mothering can be a pretty thankless job.
You keep the whole house clean, the household fed, and the children mannerly with little to no thanks. Most of the time, it doesn’t matter; you’re happy and grateful to have the work of mothering before you. But some days it really feels thankless and it gets to your heart. I was having one of those days where my attitude was not grateful, but full of self-pity for the thankless work I had before me. That night was bath night which meant I’d be cleaning bathrooms while my babies bathed (pro-tip for getting it done).
As I began wiping down the bathroom counter, my 5-year-old looked over and said these words, “Thanks for cleaning my bathroom, mom.” Oh my! I was instantly filled with guilt over my thankless attitude (and my eyes filled with tears!) Then I was reminded that even on a tough day like the one I was finishing, the job of mothering is a gift that I’m so thankful for! And I said back to my daughter, “You are very welcome.”
Out of the mouth of my own babe God changed my attitude, what grace!
This instance reminded me of Colossians 3:23 which says that “we are to work as unto the Lord and not for men.” Looking around for thankfulness from the people we serve shows that we do not have the right attitude. Serving others for God’s glory is what we should pursue as mothers, even if we never get thanked for a job well done.
