to feed and clothe,

to train and discipline,

to cultivate with care and curiosity.

I know this calling is a blessing—

one that You are using to make me more like You.

But sometimes I wish I could press pause and breathe,

to allow my mind to catch up wtih my feet,

to give my body the rest it needs.

I am weary from stewarding this beautiful gift of my child’s life.

But if weariness is Your preferred stage

on which to display Your power,

then come, Holy Father,

to the stage of my weakness.

My exhaustion does not disappoint You.

My fatigue does not frighten You.

My apathy is only proof that I am human.

I have no strength to muster up for You.

I can only tell You this is hard.

Would You join me in my weariness, now?

As I continue to put one foot in front of the other,

may I persevere with eyes locked on You

instead of my dwindling energy supply.

You are with me even when I feel unseen.

May I sense—deep in my soul—that You carry me

when I have nothing left to give.

You will restore my resources.

You will renew my strength.

There will be days when parenting is not this hard,

when joy will erupt and laughter will resound,

but today, I bring my weariness as an offering to You.

Here are the worn-out parts of my body.

Here are the shreds of my energy.

Here are the chaotic bits of my home.

Here are the circumstances I can’t control.

May these tattered but wholehearted sacrifices please You.

Amen.