Homemakers Unite

I was reading my friend Lizzy's Blog at

I'm Carried to the Table

and I just loved what she wrote. It really spoke to me and made me think about my life and it really encouraged me concerning it. Some times being home all day gives me a whole lot of emotions that I struggle with and fight down. I felt exactly as if being a wife and mom just doesn't count in this world. Well, I will let you read her words for yourself and I hope they will bless you like they blessed me. Much Love to all you dear readers :)

Homemakers Unite

By: Lizzy

a few months ago, I was in my ladies' Bible study group and through tears shared with them how transitioning from working full-time for 5 years to being at home was challenging. i would not deny it was. looking back, I can remember feeling almost guilty when we would periodically go around the room and state our name and 'what we did' for newcomers. I would sheepishly say, "I'm Lizzy and right now I'm a stay-at-home wife." not even a mom, yet! "just a stay-at-home wife"...hmm...for months after being newly-married, I really struggled with my identity. "i worked so hard all my life to get to the point of being a teacher and having an educational career. i then worked in my field for five years. now, what am i?? i need to do more, be more involved, be productive, be something..." now, let me preface this whole post by saying that staying active, productive and serving your community and church are all WONDERFUL things! it's just that my own heart's motive was not so wonderful. i felt almost useless at times because I wasn't out 'in the real world' doing something for the 'betterment of society'. although I actually loved being at home doing laundry, cleaning, cooking, having friends over, spending time in God's word on my porch, practicing with my new camera, tending to my plants, etc. i felt guilty at times for taking such delight in these simple aspects of domesticity. we have to grapple with the question: "is it really okay to shout from the rooftops that it's awesome to be a wife, mom, and homemaker??!" of course, if the Lord calls you to work outside the home for a season, He gives us such grace! He is such a big God who is not confined by our sometimes legalistic ideals and rules. and my heart is to not project a tone of condemnation for those of you who either feel a strong calling to work in some capacity outside of the home or need to work to help supplement your family income. but it is so sad to me to see my own sinful heart at times...to see how i can be so easily swayed by the priorities and thinking of this world. namely, that if i am not working outside of the home, i am 'oppressed', 'unfulfilled', bored, or unproductive. these are lies, my dear friends! if you are a young woman who has valiantly gone against the tide of our culture and the feministic mandates it aggressively places upon women, you are a hero! if you are single lady who works full-time (or part-time) and seeks to practice hospitality within your home to bless others, you are a hero! if you are a young wife who delights in cultivating a warm, hospitable home for your husband and for others who cross the threshold of your front door, you are a hero! if you are a woman who works part-time to serve your husband in supplementing his income while striving by God's GRACE to fashion a beautiful, harmonious home, you are a hero! if you are a woman who has children and is submitting to your husband's desires to work outside of the home due to serious economic circumstances while attempting to fill your home with love, order, joy, and peace, you are a hero! if you are a new mommy who has chosen to leave a 'career' behind to embark upon the glorious full-time CAREER of raising your little ones to the glory of God while keeping a home and cheering your husband on in his God-ordained calling, you are a hero! Please shout it from the rooftops! Please be a voice within our culture that so desperately wants to crush the godly ideals of marriage, home life, and the family unit! We can be proud homemakers (proud in the good sense, of course! :) and be a beacon of hope for other women out there who are seeking answers. We, who are blood-bought daughters of the King, hold the answer and it goes far beyond keeping a home, loving one man faithfully, and rearing children...the answer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ!! the Gospel is to permeate every facet of our lives, daily invade our heart and minds, direct our every step, guide our every action. it's not sinful legalistic do's and dont's (ie. you SHOULD stay home, you SHOULD have at least four kids, you SHOULD homeschool, you SHOULD use cloth diapers, you SHOULD make your own baby food, you SHOULD eat only organic, the list goes on and on!!!) it's ultimately about loving Jesus, following Him with humble hearts, being voices in the 'wilderness' of our lost culture with the life-giving message of Jesus' work, and walking in the life and victory of His redeeming, undeserving love for us!! I'm currently reading a book calledPassionate Housewives Desperate for God. it's been so encouraging for my heart as I am learning to better see the beauty of my calling as a woman. here is an excerpt that gripped my heart recently,

Jesus made Himself of no reputation. He did not seek after degrees or recognition.

He was content to stay in a tiny area and minister to a miniscule group of people whom the world viewed as insignificant. Kind of like a homemaker, under the authority of her loving husband, ministering to the children who need her.

wow. that pretty much rocked my world. yet it is filled with hope. washing the dishes, making a simple meal, picking up dirty socks, changing a diaper, kissing a boo-boo, cleaning a toilet, cleaning up other things :) being available to your husband, paying bills, running errands, washing the windows...these are all sacred acts of worship much like Jesus reaching out to touch the twisted limbs of the lame man or the crusted eyes of the blind beggar, gripping the offensive, smelly hands of the leper, washing the filthy feet of His disciples, gently lifting up from the dusty ground the half-naked woman caught in adultery. These acts were looked upon with disdain by the Pharisees...much like how the simple, seemingly mundane acts that you daily perform behind the scenes in your home are treated with disrespect and disgust by our feminist culture. Lift up your gaze and see the bigger picture. You are walking in the footsteps of Jesus Himself as you daily fulfill your calling. it is indeed a noble one. Don't hold back from proclaiming it to be so!! :)

here a link to the blog, Nourishing Days, and she wrote a post about this very topic that was quite encouraging. i pray it encourage you as well!! God bless you in this beautiful journey of pursuing your calling as a 'woman after His own heart'! He loves you!!!