Women, Wives and Mothers

To stay at home with your children, to be their primary care giver, their teacher, their role model, their mother... there is nothing I would rather do. Not that it comes so easy or that I 'm a natural. There have been times (very few) that I have thought about the job I used to have before I was married. It certainly wasn't a glamorous job or high paying job. But I did help people. That I liked! I bathed people, changed soiled bed linens, took vitals, listened to stories of yesteryear, and stories of WWII. I have lent a listening ear, a cheery smile, and a shoulder to cry on-when tests results came back not so good...

But then I snap out of it...I stop getting so reminiscent of the days when I used to help people. I have my own people right here! In my house! I still change soiled bed linens (well, diapers)! Take vitals (when the kids are sick), I bathe people. I may not listen to stories of WWII anymore, but I hear a lot of funny dreams, and made up stories. I better be offering a cheery smile, a listening ear, and a shoulder to cry on. Right? I am their mom after all.

Is being a homemaker and stay at home mom for the brain dead? For those with low IQ's? For the lazy? Ha! To raise the future generation is something to not be taken lightly. To cook their meals, and wash their clothes, to bathe them, cuddle them, read to them, sing to them, be silly with them, discipline them, to teach them about God and His truths-THAT is making a difference.

Last week I was at the dentist when the girl cleaning my teeth and I started talking....about kids. She is pregnant with her second. She asked if I stayed home with them. I said yes. She said something like: Oh, I could never do that. I tried it until my son was 18 months and I just couldn't do it. It was too hard.

Say what? Too hard?

Isn't that the typical attitude these days? Things are too hard. We want everything to be easy. Marriage, friendships, child rearing....

Is it all about us...the moms? Do we stay home because it is better for us? Okay, it is better for us in some sense. I couldn't imagine working (wanting to) a forty hour week only to come home to laundry and house work, and giving attention to all the kids. That seems exhausting. But, my real point is this: Children need their mothers. They need their mother's (and fathers) to be available. It may be better (some think) for the moms to be at work during the day. But is it better for the kids?

Before I finish, let me just clarify: I am not talking about women who HAVE to work - to pay bills. I understand that circumstances can lead women to work outside the home. I am only talking about certain attitudes that say: "I can't do it. It's too hard", "working gives me a chance to get out of the house", "wouldn't want to waste my education", etc.

Don't give up because things are too hard. Don't give in because the world is telling you that to be something or matter in society you must climb the corporate ladder. Having a healthy marriage, raising children and running a home that is glorifying to the Lord...takes work, a lot of prayer and patience! The reward is great!

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me.