Love makes the difference

I was talking to a friend of mine today who has a neighbor with a full-time nanny that keeps her four-year-old and two-year-old sons.  The nanny is a 22-year-old sweet girl, but when she was talking to my friend she was saying how exhausting the job is.  The nanny said, "I'm just completely worn out at the end of the day.  I have no energy to meet my friends or do anything."

I found that fascinating.  I guess I thought a young girl that just had to do this from 8 to 5 would not be so tired.  I do feel like that affirms my feeling that this job I do is hard!  It is objectively hard to watch babies 24/7.   I am physically worn out every single day, but it's a contented, happy kind of tired.  And I wondered why I'm not so exhausted or defeated as that nanny.

I realized the reason I can do this hard job day in day out is because of love.  I  LOVE my children with all my being.  And the love takes away much of the burden.  I realize that the nanny loves those kids to a degree, but it's not like a mother who is fully invested and interested in their spiritual, moral and physical growth.  I find joy in raising these babies because they are mine.  I am doing what I love to do with the people I love most in the world.  And so today as I sat with my wittle punkins all I felt was joy and contentment and gratefulness for their health and happy hearts.   I thank God that He gives me this love in my heart that brings joy to my work.  It makes me want to grow in my love for God and for others so that in all areas of my life I can truly serve and pour myself out with  joy.  Love makes the hard things not so hard.