Endure the Hardness

"Thou therefore, endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

This verse has been my mantra for the last several months. Last Sunday marked my 29th birthday and officially three months out from my due date with this little baby girl. It feels good to be entering into the third trimester. It feels good not to be mind numbingly sick all.day.long with this baby.

But it's still hard to be pregnant. I get frustrated with the amount of energy I have (or don't have). I get frustrated by the constant hunger, and then filling up within two bites of yummy food. I get frustrated by the stabbing cramps in my side after only a few hundred feet on a walk.

So far, I'm blessed with healthy pregnancies. Although I may not feel well most days, my baby grows big and strong inside my belly, and there are no worries or complications. I'm blessed and I know that.

But it doesn't change the fact that being pregnant is hard for me. It's not all bad, of course. I do enjoy how scared people are of pregnant women, as if I am some kind of pregnant Mount Vesuvius on the brink of erupting at any point. I have some fun with that. :) I am so thankful for the little babe growing inside me, and on the hard days (every day?), I look at my little Javi and remind myself that soon I'll have another little one toddling around, making me smile and being a love.

That verse above reminds me that my Jesus loves me, sees my hard days, and carries me through them, while I in turn carry my baby. And that, my friends, helps me to endure the hardness.