As I sit here in my tattered and stained apron, socked and sore feet propped up on the coffee table, baby just placed down for the night, floor mopped and dinner dishes done, I let out a sigh of exhaustion.
And joy.
Moving to Alabama last month brought with it a large change that I am still adjusting to: being a full-time, stay-at-home Mama.
And a pregnant one at that.
I've been thinking about parenting a lot these past few weeks, as I adjust to life with a new schedule and demands – and above every other emotion, I feel such thankfulness. When Georgia was first born almost two years ago, the Lord blessed me by allowing me to take her to work with me for the first seven months. This allowed me to not have an emotional breakdown by having to leave her with someone and also allowed me to continue nursing. After that period of time, Stuart was able to watch her while I went into the office part-time and by the time he had to go to school, I was home to take over baby duty. I am grateful for the time past that taught me faith, patience, and trust (and, as we all do, I still had my teary moments in the car on the way into work). But now, I am very grateful that I no longer have to play the part of an ambitious, young professional when the reality is (and always has been) this: I just want to be a Mama.
And I ain't gunna fight it.
I want to be there every morning to make breakfast. I want to fold clean laundry and sweep the floors. I want to clean the refrigerator and scrub the toilets. I want to be the marker-and-crayon-monitor for an ambitious and creative little girl. I want to support my husband in his work and encourage him in his calling. I want to read ‘Pat The Bunny' twenty-five times in an hour. I want to fluff the pillows on the couches and clean the spilled milk off the floor.
I want to fulfill this beautiful calling the Lord has given me to the best of my ability.
And that ain't easy.
It's not easy to be patient with a two-year old. As a matter of a fact, it'll put you on your knees more times in a day than you can count, seeking an extra measure of God's grace to see you through. It's also not easy to be living off of one income, which makes paying bills, balancing budgets, and being responsible with the money all the more challenging. It's not easy to be pregnant and have the energy to keep up with a constant track of sand, food bits, and dog hair that decorate the floors. It's not also easy to plan, shop for, and prepare nutritious and frugal meals, when the reality is, you'd just love someone to just come do it for you. It's not easy to feel unappreciated for what you do by society's standards.
After all, as a society, we've really sort of decided that we'd rather pay someone to do those things for us – haven't we?
It's easier to send your child to daycare than it is to be disciplining and entertaining all day. It's easier to pick up take-out than it is to prepare dinner. It's easier to buy new clothes and linens than it is to take care of the ones you've been given. It's easier to feel justified in your work when you bring home a big paycheck.
But this Mama isn't making a paycheck. My work is done for my family – and it's done for free.
You see, God has designed me to be a helper to Stuart and a Mother to my children. I may not be doing ‘work' by society standards, but I am doing great work for the kingdom of God. It is my fervent prayer that I will believe this and act accordingly.
I don't wish to be a stay-at-home Mom that ceases to exist in society, nor do I wish to be a stay-at-home Mom that constantly boasts of how she has ‘the hardest job in the world…'.
I wish to be a Mom that boasts about how she has the best job in the world, sacrificing other desires so that she can raise her children, to the best of her ability, for the glory and purpose of God.
It's messy. It's frustrating. It's exhausting. It's challenging. And it's wonderful.
I am so grateful for this work and this gift.
Renee Kohley
Great post 🙂 I feel the same way deep in the midst of it with a 3 year old and a 1 year old!
Camille
Amazing post 🙂 God bless !
Cheryl @ handcraftedtravellers
From one stay at home mom to another – keep right on doing what you are doing. I am sure your daughter loves you right at by her side!
Tracy
I TOTALLY agree with you! When I left the “corporate” world 5 years ago, I didn’t know what to expect. I can say, without a doubt, that I have never regretted staying home, teaching my kids and taking care of my husband and the house. Not even for a second! My ONLY regret is that I didn’t listen to God telling me to do it much earlier than I did.
Mary Jane Plemons
This is one of your best posts ever. God bless you!
Mary Jane Plemons
Mama of 4, grandmother of 7 2/3!
E Stevenson
I have to agree with others, this is your best post to date. I left my job late in my pregnancy last year to follow what I knew God was telling me to do. Until that point, I had lived in my house for 4 years, but worked too much to make it a home. Now I take joy in caring for my daughter, tending to the bountiful garden, caring for our home, supporting my husband, and even washing to cloth diapers! I had no idea what I was in for when I came home. It has certainly been an adjustment, but I wouldn’t change it for all the world. Don’t worry about society’s standards. Continue to do what you feel to be right for you in God’s eyes. Bless you and your family! I am so happy to read you are settling in to the new life God has given to you.
Jaclyn Hicks
Thank you for posting this. I have just a quick minute while my teething baby sleeps. I am a stay at home Mama who also writes. Granted, what I have written hasn’t been picked up by any publishing companies (except for my first book), but other that being a Mom and Wife, writing is my other passion.
The problem is that with raising a child comes very little time to get other things accomplished. By the time I cook the meals, do the chores and laundry, finish the yardwork, and tend to the needs of a 5 month old, my day is pretty well done.
It is difficult when loved ones ridicule my choice of lifestyle and claim that I am not living up to my full potential. Thank you for reminding me of what the calling to be a wife and mother really means.
I needed this today. Thank you.
The Southern Peach-Girls
This is my first visit to your blog. I saw your link up with the Homestead Barnhop. Wow! Talk about needing those words!!! And this is coming from a long time stay at home mom 🙂 Just this week I have really been contemplating things. I know I have been missing the mark somewhere. I have been lacking joy. And I think you nailed it on the head. I need to remember how thankful I am to be at home doing what God made me to do!!!! And that is how my joy will return. Thank you, thank you for sharing your heart.
Abby Jo @ forgottenwayfarms.com
Best post ever! It is the best calling ever, never let anyone tell ya different. I love what you said
“I just want to be a mama” Well said, so many buy into the lie that you HAVE to a have career to be somebody… when really it’s just a job. I would rather be a mama for my career 🙂
Feland Family
Thank you for this post! Exactly what I needed to read right now 🙂
Amanda
I love your blog and this post was such a great reminder for me! Thanks for sharing your heart.
Georgia Jean
I was tearing up reading this one! Being a stay at home is definatly a job you have to do for the feeling you get at the end of the day and not for any kind of respect from our society. I love my job in our home and am hopefully teaching my three girls that it’s okay to grow up and be a caretaker of the ones you love instead of gearing them up for an ivy league school and professional career. Love this post!!
Anonymous
Much love, prayer and respect from Georgia’s blessed Granddaddy–SnakeDoctor out 😉
April's Homemaking
Congratulations on becoming a stay at home mom! I really enjoyed reading your post, my kids are in their teen years now, and I have been so grateful to have been a stay at home mom and actively parenting them all of these years. Such a blessing for sure. The blogosphere is such a wonderful place of support and inspiration for stay at home moms too. What a happy post to read! 🙂
Erika Marsh
Being a mother is a blessing. Being a stay at home mom is frustrating, messy and challenging! But I love it! We’d love it if you’d share this at our Home is Where the Heart is! http://www.homesteadsimple.com/home-is-where-the-heart-is-link-it-up-wednesdays-1/
and any other posts you’d like to share that have to do with homesteading and homemaking!
Skiffgirl
Thank you for posting this today. I am a stay at home mama whoes hubby works out of town and it is HARD!!! My little one is teething again right now and I needed a good reminder today of why I am doing this. Great Post!!!
ways to work from home
When you first start a stay at home job, no task seems too large or too boring. Your enthusiasm for your stay at home has you on your own little stay at home work cloud and you feel you can tackle anything. You have enough motivation for 5 stay at home jobs!
Noël McNeil
Wonderful post! Thanks for reminding me about how wonderful of a ‘job’ I have. 🙂