If you’re a mom in the thick of raising children—stepping on toys, reheating your coffee for the third time, juggling school drop-offs and bedtime routines—you’ve probably heard the phrase, “The days are long, but the years are short.” It’s a truth that often feels cliché—until it hits home.
Because it is true.
One day you’re rocking a newborn in the quiet hours of the night, and the next you’re watching that same child walk into a kindergarten classroom with a too-big backpack and a heart full of courage. And just like that, a season has passed.
Motherhood, as overwhelming and all-consuming as it can be, is truly just for a season. It’s a fleeting breath in the grand scheme of eternity. Though the days can feel never-ending—filled with diaper changes, emotional rollercoasters, and incessant messes—this season doesn’t last forever. And that truth is sobering.
A Biblical Perspective on Time and Seasons
Scripture reminds us of this reality. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” God, in His perfect wisdom, has appointed this particular season for you—to be a mother to your children, right here, right now.
Psalm 90:12 gives us this prayerful reminder: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” God knew we’d need that perspective. He knew how easily we’d get caught up in the daily grind and forget the eternal value of what we’re doing in our homes. He knew we’d need to be reminded that these little years are more than just survival—they’re sacred.
Doing Our Best, Not Being Perfect
As moms, we won’t do it all perfectly. We’ll raise our voices. We’ll forget important things. We’ll sometimes (or more like often) feel like we’ve fallen short. But grace is woven through this season just as much as the laundry piles and snack crumbs are. Perfection isn’t the goal—intentionality is!
When we live with the end in mind—when we remember how short these years truly are—it inspires us to pour into our children with purpose. Not striving in our own strength, but partnering with the Holy Spirit to guide, teach, and nurture. We give ourselves to the work of motherhood, knowing it is not in vain and that we are investing in a legacy of love that Lord willing will long out-live us.
Living Without Regret
One day, this season will end. The house will be quieter. The laundry piles will shrink. The sticky fingerprints will disappear from the windows. And when that day comes, I want to be able to look back—not with regret, but with gratitude. I want to know I gave my children my presence, my prayers, and my heart.
Not because I did it flawlessly—surely I don’t. But because I showed up with love, with humility, and with a heart that pointed them back to Jesus.
So, mama, take a breath today. Look into the eyes of your child. Take in the beauty of this moment, even if it’s messy and loud. Even though it feels long right now, it’s just a blink.
Cherish it. Steward it. And when the years have flown by, you’ll be glad you did.
