The Bottom Line

A couple weeks ago, I had a super-great Wednesday.

(I have every Wednesday off, and have since I started up working again, because the elementary schools are out early. It's a nice week day off so I can run errands or whatever else I need to do during the week. It's nice!)

This was a Wednesday that I was home. I spent the day hanging out in the clothes I slept in (until 5:00 when I went up and got dressed so I could make dinner and go to AWANA/Small Group). I did tons of laundry (and found some missing socks along the way), cleaned up a bit, did a few things here and there. But I was *home*.

I had to get Emma early (10:45 secondary early release - kinda dumb, but means I had more time with her that day which was pretty cool), and we came back home and hung out - not necessarily together the whole time, but together in the house. Nice.

I thoroughly enjoyed that I didn't have to leave the house for any errands, just to get the trolls to and from school (with a quick trip through the bank drive through after getting Rachel from school from her early release day). Easy. I did a little project (my missing sock wall) that day, I enjoyed my newly-rearranged family room, which was finally clean of trolls' sh... cr... stu... um ... (*ahem*) belongings.

My point here? It was nice to be home and do my "real" job here. I don't want to sound ungrateful for anything, because I do truly believe that the job I have (the "other" job) was from God, and that I'm honoring Him by honoring my husband's wishes (to work at a job that helps fund the savings account). But it's so nice when I don't have to worry about that job. I didn't go in on Monday, since there wasn't tons of work, and Tuesday was MOPS, and Wednesday is always a day off. How awesome that I got those days at home this week. Awesome because God made it so for me.


Identity. I think I needed some time this week to do things here and realize that I am valuable for what I do, whether here or there or anywhere, but that my actual identity isn't *in* my job here or there or anywhere. My true identity is in Christ. Doesn't matter whether I have a clean house or do all the laundry. That stuff is nice, but it's not my identity. If I have another job, that's not it either. My identity is in Christ and that's the bottom line.

Lies. I think sometimes I get caught up in the idea (lie) that I'm not doing what I often think I *should* be doing (being a home-only-mom) because I feel like I don't get enough done here. I think that's because I'm believing lies and putting my identity in something other than Christ. Yes, I'm a homemaker, wife, mother. But my actual identity (and priority) is being a child of God, not a homemaker or wife or mother. Those things are secondary to being His child. So when I make sure my identity is in the right place, the rest follows suit. My priorities have to be right or else *I'm* not right. :)

Obedience. Whether or not I think I should or should not have a job outside my home, the fact remains that I do. The fact remains that God gave me that job at a time when it was absolutely necessary. The fact remains that I obey God by honoring and respecting my husband, who believes it wise that I continue in that job so that I am helping support our family *with* him.

Priorities. I'm first God's child; then a wife; then a mother. Then a homemaker, then a friend...the list goes on. It's so important to realize those priorities in life. Do I want my kids to remember that we had an "always clean house", or that all the laundry was always done, or that everything was always in place? No. I want them to remember that we enjoyed spending time together. There is definitely a time for chores and work, but we have to leave room for fun and teaching and learning together also. I may not be a "homeschool" mom, but I am still my kids' (first) teacher. God has told me that it's my job to teach them His ways - so I better have my priorities straight.


Bottom line:  Don't believe the lies. Obey God's commands. Get your priorities straight.