Finding the joy

Some days, motherhood feels like a never-ending to-do list. The dishes pile up, the laundry calls your name, and someone always needs a snack right when you sit down. It’s easy to move from one task to the next and forget that joy is meant to be part of our everyday lives—not something we stumble upon by accident, but something we choose, moment by moment.

Joy isn’t the same as happiness. Happiness depends on circumstances—on how much sleep we got or whether the day goes as planned. But joy? Joy runs deeper. It’s the steady assurance that even in the mess and the chaos, God is present.

When we slow down long enough to notice, joy begins to show up everywhere. It’s in the giggle of your toddler when you make silly faces. It’s in the quiet moment after bedtime when the house finally exhales. It’s in that whisper from the Holy Spirit reminding you that you’re doing better than you think.

God never promised us easy days, but He did promise His presence—and where His presence is, joy follows.

Finding joy doesn’t mean ignoring the hard parts of motherhood. It means letting gratitude interrupt the chaos. It’s choosing to see the beauty God hides in the ordinary. It’s remembering that the season you’re in is temporary, but the hearts you’re shaping are eternal.

So pause today. Look up from the dishes. Breathe in the quiet. Find the joy that’s been waiting there all along.

Because when we choose joy—even in the small things—we reflect the heart of the Father to the little eyes watching us.