- The kids wouldn't get up, ready and out on time each morning for school
- They'd have to walk the 5 miles to school along the main road with no paths
- No homework would get done
- There would to no holidays organised or enjoyed
- Planned family day trips would be sparse
- Christmas and birthdays would pass by unnoticed
- No-one would receive a thank you, how are you or greeting card
- Family members would never get visited
- The bills wouldn't get paid
- All the insurances would lapse
- The mail, household paperwork and forms from school would create an impressive stack
- The car would cease to a halt or cause an accident through lack of maintenance
- The family wouldn't have home-cooked meals all together at the table
- In fact, there might not be any food in the house, as the order might get forgotten
- School lunch bookings and payments would be forgotten
- The house would be in disarray, things wouldn't get tided away until weeks later and the dust would build
- Everyone would have to dress from the laundry pile
- The kids would look quite humorous in clothes and shoes a couple of sizes too small, as nothing new has been bought
- The items to go to the charity shop or dump would build up and up
- All the regular dentist, doctors and eye checks would be forgotten
- Everyone would look like a shaggy dog without any haircuts
- Various charities would be one volunteer down
- My blogs would fester, unloved
Basically, our family wouldn't function too well but I haven't written this to have a dig at anybody. My husband and I have moved to quite defined roles since we moved to East Sussex, its very traditional nowadays, he earns the family money (amongst other things) and I look after the kids and our home. However, if I wasn't around, he's a very capable man and he'd do it all.
I'm very thankful that I am able to be around whenever the children or my husband need me. I used to feel so compromised when I worked out of the home and couldn't always make assemblies or open afternoons at school.
No, the reason I wrote this list is to remind ME of all the things I do, of the value I have to our family, of the input I make. All my life I have based my value on my earnings, outcomes and job title. Now I am Mum, who volunteers and earns under £5K a year, it doesn't sound so impressive.
But when I sat down and really thought it through. This is enough. I work a lot of hours each day keeping the house running, the family functioning and ensuring that the place where we all live is a home and not just a shell. And I enjoy it, yes on the one hand I'd love to have a paid job again, to gain that satisfaction of working and achieving goals and making a difference.
However, the kids are now nearly 14, 10 and 10 and their childhood is whizzing past so I must enjoy this blessing of being able to be here. I still have another 30 odd years to work if I so wish. I have no idea where God will lead me in the future but He has wonderful plans for me and I just need to wait on Him and trust that right now is a season for being home and mothering my family.
Thank you Jesus for revealing this to me and helping me to be content right where I am. I hope you are content where you are too and if not, then maybe it is time to make some changes?
Why not pin this post for later?
Why not pin this post for later?
