mom thoughts #1

You are not what you do.

For so long I’ve been afraid to be an official “stay-at-home” mom because I believed the lie that if I chose that path, everyone and everything would depend on me - my husband, my kids, cooking and cleaning, and it felt overwhelming and unattainable. There was certainly no joy in that desire, and it felt like a default option. I realized I was starting to view work outside the home as a means of escape from the overwhelm I felt at home.

I feel like what the Lord wants you and me to hear today is that we aren’t what we do. Our identity is not found in our jobs OR - please hear me, Catholic culture - in our vocations. I am not a wife and mother at my core. That isn’t WHO I am, and it’s certainly not ALL I am, and this is so important for me to keep in mind on days I don’t FEEL affection for my spouse or children and am tempted to think something’s wrong with me. Thank God that love isn’t a feeling but to will and choose the good of others, to lay down one’s life, to choose the cross. To follow Jesus.

So, root yourself in Him. Abide in Him. Let Him lead you back to the heart of the Father and remind you of your ONE and ONLY, TRUE identity: beloved daughter. And be delighted each day where HE leads. He might call you or me to a career outside the home, or He may invite us to stay inside for awhile. The most important thing to remember is to LET YOURSELF BE LED and LET YOURSELF BE LOVED; don’t try to call yourself to something. And give Him permission to change your desires. Let Him release any pressure that‘s been put on you to work or not work. Let Him heal your performance-based mentality so that you will be free to receive your mission in THIS season.

All for the greater glory of God. Amen.