I borrowed A Love that Multiplies (written by the Duggars) from my sister. There is a poem in there, that really spoke to me.
I have been a SAHM since my boys were about 3 (so about 11 years now). I did substitute teach until my daughter was born when they were 8 and then I stayed at home with her full time. I am now a SAHM and a Homeschooling mom of all three of our children. Anyway, sometimes, I wonder what I am doing with my life. I love my kids and my husband and I love being at home. But, sometimes, I wonder if I should be working in a career so we could have more and do more. Then I read this poem:
Continued On
A woman fretted over the the usefulness of her life.
She feared she was wasting her potential being a devoted wife and mother.
She wondered if the time and energy she invested in her husband and children would make a difference.
At times she got discouraged because so much of what she did seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated.
"Is it worth it?" she often wondered. "Is there something better that I could be doing with my time?"
It was during one of these moments of questioning that she heard the still, small voice of her Heavenly Father speak to her heart.
"You are a wife and mother because that it is what I have called you to be.
Much of what you do is hidden from the public eye, but I notice.
Most of what you give is done without remuneration.
But I am your reward.
Your husband cannot be the man I have called him to be without your support.
Your influence upon him is greater than you think and more powerful than you will ever know.
I bless him through your service and honor him through you love.
Your children are precious to me.
Even more precious than they are to you.
I have entrusted them to your care to raise for Me.
What you invest in them is an offering to Me.
You may never be in the public spotlight, but your obedience shines as a bright light before Me.
Continue on. Remember you are my servant.
Do all to please Me.
I just had to share this with some of you. It really made me stop and think...I hope it encourages you also.
Thank You for sharing, there are many days I wonder who I am and what I am doing, raising a special needs child, while my husband works so very hard to take care of us. Most days I feel what I do is for nothing. I am homeschooling my child and some days I am wondering why.. why.. why.. Where am I going, what am I doing, who am I.. I am a servant to my Lord..
Quoting formersheep:
This is just what I needed to hear this week! I do work part time but only 4-5 hours, six nights a week. I have all day at home with my 6 month old and only a few hours with my older two after they get home from school. (I joined this group to help get my homeschooling ducks in a row for the future.) But I've been struggling. It seems I can't get anything done, and I don't get to see. My older kids enough before its time to rush off to my stupid, pointless, unremarkable job so I can help pay the bills. My hubs is starting a new job on Monday through a temp agency and he has promised when/ if he is hired on by the company, I can quit my job. That is my fervant hope and prayer. I want to be home with all my children and taking care of them and hubs. When I go tp work it feels wrong ever since I had our youngest. But if I were to quit now it would feel wrong because we are so strapped financially.
I know what you mean..When I first started working my mom and sister kept the boys (twins-they were about a year old). Then my mom got cancer (the boys were about 2)and was going through chemo. My sister (she was16) and her friend tried to keep them, but it was just too much. So we put them in daycare. At first I was working local. I was only making 600 a month and daycare costs for them were almost 400 per month. So, I went out of town to get a job to try to make more. I cried half way to work everyday because I felt like I was abandoning them. I drove 40 minutes one way. I left them at the baby sitters at 6:30-6:45 in the morning and then I didn't get home until after 5:15-6:00 (depending on traffic). I was away from my babies for 12 hours a day. My husband would pick up the boys every day after he got off work (around 4:00). But, I was miserable. Finally we sat down after hearing Adrian Rogers. He said that the mother who works full time outside the home really needs to sit down and figure how much she really makes..and so we did. After we did all the figures I was only bringing in around 200 per month after daycare, eating out, and gas. So, we decided that it was not worth it. We just count down on certain things to make up the difference..Daycare is what our main problem was.
Things are still hard sometimes. We don't get to go on vacations every year. Last year was the first vacation we'd had in 5 years. Our kids don't get alot of things they want and we don't have a closet full of clothes. But the way I see it that we are happy and we are still blessed with what we do have.
I have asked my husband about getting a part-time job to help out, but he said he'd rather I didn't. He said then we'd never see each other.
I will pray for you that your husband gets hired on at this new job. Jobs are so hard to come by and everything just keeps going up in price.
I applied for a job today
- starbeck96
on Aug. 30, 2012 at 12:03 PM