you don't have to like it, you just have to do it

I've been reading William J. Bennett's The Book of Man to gain more insight into raising our boys to be men. We tend to put a great deal of responsibility on our husbands to do this task, and rightly so; but the privilege also belongs to mothers.

Bennett included the Navy SEAL Creed in his compilation of writings on manhood. This selection stood out to me and has inspired me to apply such a standard of excellence to my own daily living, within a biblical framework (not based on my own abilities but on the power of Christ within me).

Here is the Navy SEAL Creed:

     In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation's call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed. Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America's finest special operations forces to serve his country, the American people, and protect their way of life. I am that man.
     My Trident is a symbol of honor and heritage. Bestowed upon me by the heroes that have gone before, it embodies the trust of those I have sworn to protect. By wearing the Trident I accept the responsibility of my chosen profession and way of life. It is a privilege that I must earn every day.
     My loyalty to Country and Team is beyond reproach. I humbly serve as a guardian to my fellow Americans always ready to defend those who are unable to defend themselves. I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions. I voluntarily accept the inherent hazards of my profession, placing the welfare and security of others above my own.
     I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstances, sets me apart from other men. Uncompromising integrity is my standard. My character and honor are steadfast. My word is my bond.
     We expect to lead and be led. In the absence of orders I will take charge, lead my teammates and accomplish the mission. I lead by example in all situations. I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.
     We demand discipline. We expect innovation. The lives of my teammates and the success of our mission depend on me - my technical skill, tactical proficiency, and attention to detail. My training is never complete.
     We train for war and fight to win. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country. The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required yet guided by the very principles that I serve to defend.
     Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail.

Wow. Not only does this make me want to join forces with Mason to raise our sons to be men of integrity, it also inspires me to embrace the challenges of my own God-given role as a woman. Moms, would you agree it's fair to say that we require mental toughness?

Don't we sometimes operate near this level of exertion?

Or require this level of endurance?

Or find ourselves in situations like this one?

I think we have something to learn from these men. During their rigorous training they're often told, "You don't have to like it, you just have to do it."  While we were created to be helpers for our husbands, gentle and lovely in nature, strength is also required of us. (I'm sure that some of the intense physical sensations associated with motherhood, if replicable, would qualify for SEAL training in pain and stress management!)

SEALs train to control their body's natural stress responses so that they can remain poised even in the most stressful situation. Anyone who's walked our Bulgarian adoption journey with us knows that this is a training from which I could have seriously benefited!

Here's my adaptation of the Navy SEAL Creed - it more or less reflects the unique nature of a full-time mom's job, but don't take it too seriously. I don't actually intend to live by every word of this. It's interesting how little of the original wording I needed to change in order to make it applicable to moms...

   In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer her family's call. A common woman with uncommon desire to succeed. Forged by adversity, she stands alongside America's finest domestic operations forces to serve her husband, their little people, and protect their way of life. I am that woman.

   My Home is a symbol of honor and heritage. Bestowed upon me by the mothers that have gone before, it embodies the safety of those I have sworn to protect. By managing my Home I accept the responsibility of my chosen profession and way of life. It is a domain that I must arrange every day.

     My loyalty to Husband and Children is beyond reproach. I humbly serve as a guardian to my little people always ready to defend those who are unable to defend themselves. I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions. I voluntarily accept the inherent hazards of my profession, placing the welfare and security of others above my own.
     I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstances, sets me apart from other women. Uncompromising integrity is my standard. My character and honor are steadfast. My word is my bond.
     We expect to lead and be led. In the absence of orders I will take charge, lead my children and accomplish the training. I lead by example in all situations. I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Role expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my children. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my family and to accomplish child training. I am never out of the fight.
     We demand discipline. We expect innovation. The lives of our children and the success of their training depend on me - my technical skill, tactical proficiency, and attention to detail. My training is never complete.
     We train for war and fight to win. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of disciplinary power to bear in order to achieve their education and the goals established by God's Word. The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required yet guided by the very principles that I serve to teach.
     Brave women have prayed and prevailed preserving the proud tradition and vital occupation that I am blessed to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the encouragement of my fellow moms steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail.

Except...I would absolutely fail without the power of Christ in me. There is no way I could serve my husband and train my children with joy and any degree of success apart from Him. "For in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). 

It is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ that sustains me in my task of homeschooling our four children with varying gifts and needs, and loving my husband of almost 10 years. More important than any creed, Navy SEAL or otherwise, are the words of Jesus:

He is ALL that we need.