Occupational Satisfaction

            There are countless angles to discuss the following nouns: occupation, job, ministry, man, women, husband, father, wife, mother.  We rarely talk about motherhood as it relates to occupation and ministry. But when we define motherhood as full-time job and ministry, some interesting revelations follow. 

            Let me start by saying this: I know my children want me home. Everyday, in all kinds of forms, they choose to communicate this to me. They thank me: “Thanks mom for taking care of my brother Hutch.” They love me: with hugs, kisses, and requests for me to play. They speak and live with merry hearts: “Mom I love everybody, I want to have everybody in the world to my beautiful home!!” And the BIGGEST/LOUDEST/MOST IMPORTANT way they let me know they want me home is by asking for instruction a.k.a. --- disobeying.

            If I were not home who would instruct them about their rebellion? Who would help them see their sin? Who would help them to understand their need for Jesus? Explain the cross? Teach the gospel? Sure, Sure, their sin will rear its ugly head again (the phrase we like to use when we’ve failed at taking advantage of an opportunity). But if I am missing 50% of the opportunities, and the other 50% of the time I’m only functioning at half capacity…  then we’re all missing out on important times of repetition and reinforcement.

            I want to be around for majority, if not all, teachable moments. I cannot be asking the question “Where is God calling me, and to what ministry?” There is no question. And there is no option. At the first breath of my first child a calling was PLACED on my life… to be "a striving wife/mother with a soul that is FULLY satisfied in Christ, seeking wisdom, love, a grateful heart, and grace; desiring the overflow of my soul to fill the hearts and souls of my sons and daughters with scripture, thankfulness, contentment, joy, laughter and love/respect one towards another." (My Mission Statement, written 2013)

            We don’t just have some kids. We have a job, an occupation, a ministry. We have a weighty, monumental task that could easy overwhelm the mind with a little mediation! And when we choose to stop whining and complaining and pick up the entire heavy task and feel the weight, we find PURPOSE. This is the 1^st revelation, but there is another that’s quick to follow. The 2^nd is this: in us fully owning our purpose our husband can finally have the freedom to fully pick up his calling and purpose. Sure our roles and lives overlap and interact and there are plenty of details, vision, and mission statements that need to be developed and worked out as a team. But he needs freedom to live out his calling guiltless, so from 8am-6pm, he is where he needs to be and you are where you need to be. Where is that where? I can tell you this --- Where you are best is where you are not wishing to be in a different where ---- but fully embracing the WHERE God has given you: : Living PURPOSEFULLY in MOTHERHOOD.