I have a confession. I’m not a fan of running and I will avoid it at all costs. Give this girl some weights, yoga, or HIIT workouts and I’m all there. I’ll even attempt a steady jog now and then. But running? Oh no. Perhaps you can relate too.
While I may choose alternate forms of exercise, running is a healthy choice and many people love it. Lately, I’ve been thinking more about my feelings toward running and why it’s not my go-to form of exercise.
Thinking about it led me to think about how we as mothers “run” constantly. Whether we’re chasing toddlers or doing errands, our days stay full which can lead to a steady routine or overwhelming chaos.
Whose Pace Are You Keeping?
Mothers struggle so much with “keeping the pace” of motherhood. For me, this often comes from looking outside of my home at other moms I think are doing the job better than me. Part of this comes from lacking confidence in my calling as a mother.
When days are long and seasons seem endless, it’s easy to look for something we feel is better. The truth is that this journey requires us to press into our fellow mothers and encourage them rather than compete with them.
Keeping Pace In the Right Race
We are all at different places in our motherhood journey. We are all walking this journey together but God is working differently in each of our journeys. However, we are all working toward the same goal – to point our children God and make Him known. There is no rush in this – just faithfulness.
We’ve heard the saying, “It’s the pace, not the race.” While there is some truth to this, the race does matter. The only race I want to keep my pace with is God’s. This is often difficult when I want to run ahead and do my own thing (much like my children do).
When we are keeping His pace and remaining faithful, we keep in tune with the numerous blessings He offers.
Cultivating Slowness
Mothers spend so much time running around that slowing down is hard; especially if you’re blessed with many children! These mothers hear or read the word “slow” and laugh out loud. I’m with you! Let me encourage you with this thought – a slow pace is not a mindset.
Ultimately, the purpose of cultivating a slow pace is to practice dwelling in the presence of God. Fellow mothers, we will not find peace in planners, coffee cups, or sleep schedules. Yes, these are wonderful things! But, they do not bring lasting peace. We find peace when we seek solace in the presence of Almighty God.
Cultivating a slow pace means choosing resting over racing. Keeping God’s pace prevents us from missing out on the beautiful blessings of motherhood.
