Revelations

If you don't follow Stephanie Nielsen's blog you should take a look at it. She has posted a youtube video of "her new life". It is awesome but it also reminded me of a revelation I received from the Lord this past week. Karen and I had dinner a week or so ago and both of us were lamenting the fact that we were sooooo very tired of working. Both of us have worked at some job or another since we were very young, like for me the sixth grade. My parents were starting their own business and we were expected to work right along side them to get it going and we did. So I have been working ever since. I have always wanted to be a stay at home mom but that just wasn't God's plan for me. I have struggled with this for years and I mean struggled hard with it. Yes I could have stayed home but then Gary would not have been able to pursue his calling. My first duty after God is to my husband; to be a helpmeet. So working outside the home has been my way of being that to him. God always blessed me with a job and boss that never, and I do mean never, kept me from attending any function, sporting event or need my children had. As I look back I think how amazing that one fact has been. I have always been very involved in my children's lives at home and in school. My life has always been my family. Now that the kids are all grown, I have still struggled with the working thing because now I would love to be able to care for my grandson. Also, I have envied people who get up every morning excited to go to a job they love. I have never had that. My "job" that I love is my family. Karen and I were talking about how that would feel, to actually have a job you loved doing. So I got to thinking about what kind of job it would take for me to have that feeling. What do I want to be when I grow up! I have never wanted to be anything but a wife and mom. Jesus told me the other day that I was getting to do the job I love. I work so I can help my husband, I work so I can help my children. I am a servant for my family and I love it. This is my purpose, my calling. Maybe I should have seen this years ago but today's society pushes women to "be" something other than just a wife and mom. The thing I love to do more than anything else in this world is to take care of my family in every way that they need. Clean up after them, cook for them, help them financially, emotionally…whatever. That brings me more joy than any job I could ever do. This is what my purpose in life is and has always been. That’s why I have always wanted to stay at home with them thinking I could do more for them if that were the case. BUT it was revealed to me yesterday that I am doing and will do as much and really more for my family by working than I ever could have by staying home. I still clean up after them, I still cook for them, I play with them…and one thing I might not be able to do for them would be to help them financially if I wasn’t working. Does this make sense? I know that there will be times that I still won’t want to work but I feel much more satisfied about having to working because I realize there is so much more I can do for them by working than not. Now this is not neccessarily the case for everyone and I am not saying that by working I am doing more than a mom that stays at home. But for me this is what I am supposed to do. This is the first time in my life that I have realized this to the fullest extent. I have known that we couldn’t have traveled like we have if I didn’t work but I still wanted to stay home with them. I also was told that to stay home would be selfish. Especially now that they are grown and not at home. I would be doing only what I wanted to do for me. I am getting to do what I want.. I know there are still going to be times that I will NOT want to work so I hope God reminds me of this revelation often.