Friday, June 1, 2012

Right Where God Wants Me To Be

" I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me...I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it...Yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God."

My mother had a full time job outside the home for my entire childhood. When I was young, her income provided half of our financial resources, and my father provided the other half with his job. When I was a teenager, my parents divorced. My mother's job became much more critical at that point, being the only means of income for our family. As I grew up, I always heard my mother lament that she could not stay home full time to raise her girls. This was her desire above all others, to be home with us, to teach us, to nurture us. Unfortunately, this was not what the Lord had allotted unto her, and she did her best to be content with it.

My sister and I grew up with these two lessons in our minds - first, seeing that women are very capable of having successful careers outside the home; and second, hearing that being a stay-at-home mother is more desirable than any other opportunity. When we married, we each chose husbands who were willing to work hard to support our families and let us stay home with our kids.

There have been lots of times that my sister and I have second-guessed our decision to be SAHMs. We have each tried different work-at-home businesses - selling kitchen paraphenalia, candles, scrapbooking supplies, etc. We have also each had part-time jobs once or twice, mainly to have a diversion. But every time, these business pursuits have not been successful, and we both have ended up where we started - home with our kids, cleaning the house, planning playdates and menus. 

Exactly where God wants us to be.

As I study how to become a Proverbs 31 woman, I am learning how to find the glory of God in the path He has chosen for me. It's so easy for Satan to whisper his negative ideas into my brain - I'm worth more than this, the kids are annoying, my husband just wants a housekeeper, etc etc. If I don't actively seek God's word and His spirit in my life, this negative tirade starts to eat away at my happiness. 

God has put me here in my home, with my kids, for a reason. Just as Esther had a purpose in the king's house she did not know at first, I have a purpose here in my home. I do not understand it all right now. Maybe I won't ever understand it all in this lifetime. But I will stop second-guessing His will. I will glory in the life He has given me, and in the blessings He continually pours out upon me and my family. God needs me to be an instrument in His hands, and it's time to stop fighting that fact. God has never steered me wrong before in my life, so I will continue to trust in Him and rejoice in His tender mercies. 

With love,
Jean

8 comments:

  1. This was a great reminder Jean of where we are called to be. I have friends who work full time and love it. I however, have been called to be at home and felt it a long time ago. I gave up my dream of going to law school for this and don't regret that decision. Thanks for linking up this week.

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  2. Oh Jean, of course you are right where God wants you to be! You’ll never regret a day of being a SAHM.
    I’ve worked part-time teaching on and off through the years, but truly there is no place like home ;-)
    Blessings,
    ~ Debra ~
    http://debrasblogpureandsimple.blogspot.com/2012/06/still-point.html

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  3. Beautifully said! I love being a stay at home wife and homeschooling mom. My grandmother once told me how disappointed she was in my choice because all I'd ever be was a mom. My response was "well that's not bad. After all it's the most important job in the world to raise moral and Christian children.

    I would love it if you would share this post on the Feminine Friday Link-Up! I really think my readers will enjoy it!

    http://susangodfrey.com/category/faith/feminine-friday/

    Blessings!
    Susan Godfrey
    Finding Beauty - http://www.susangodfrey.com

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  4. It is not an easy decision! I often see the FB posts with the picture of "what the world thinks I do", "what my husband think I do", "what I wish I did", "what I actually do", etc. It makes me laugh! It definitely is what God wants for me and I'm so happy to be here! Stoppin by from simplyhelpinghim.com :)

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  5. I found you through the Growing Home link-up! I can relate to your mother's feelings as I went through a divorce when my 5th child was around 3. It's hard to be torn is so many directions, but the Lord was faithful to see me through that time. I am now married to a wonderful man who allows me to stay home again and we've added twin boys to our crew!! I am so thankful for every minute I have too be here with my children.

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  6. Visiting from the GMG Wednesday Link up! Loving the Proverbs 31 study!

    http://lawyergirlruns86.blogspot.com/2012/06/women-in-word-wednesday-2012-summer.html

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  7. Jean, I was looking for a way to contact you and could not fine one..could you email me at amothersheritage@gmail.com? Thanks!

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