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As a mother to four cheerful and charming children, I have held a lot of “titles” through the years in relation to my career – the thing I do that adds to the income for my family. I have been called a full-time/part-time working mom and a work-from-home mom.
When each of my children were born, I took time away from my career to be a stay-at-home mom for a while, too. And trust me, it was the same as having a “full time job.”
While each title seems to have a different meaning, I have learned that a lot of what I do doesn’t always add to the family bottom line in dollars, but rather in value.
Take for example, feeding a family of six on a weekly basis. I have to sit down and intentionally look at the family schedule – who has to be where, when. I have to figure out things like….
….on Tuesdays we only have 45 minutes at home in between school and the first practice. That means, in 45 minutes I have to get a meal prepared for six people, have them all sit down and eat it, and get it cleaned up – IN ONLY 45 MINUTES.
This takes PLANNING, people!
And that is just one night out of seven and doesn’t include breakfasts, school, or weekend lunches. So, imagine with me for just a moment how much time goes into just the planning phase of that activity. For me, it is usually a 30-45 minute exercise.
From there, I have to make the grocery list, clip coupons, ensure I know what we have on hand, and stick to a $150 weekly budget. Then I have to go to the store, shop, and bring it all home.
Then I have to find a spot for everything in the fridge and cupboards. I will also go ahead and separate out all of the meat, fruit, and snacks into portion bags for easier management through the week.
All of that usually accounts for an additional 3.5-4 hours with a total of about 5 hours each week….
And I haven’t even started preparing the food for my family yet which accounts for about 2 hours of every day. That’s a whopping total of 19 hours a week –a part time job by most people’s standards.
And I make $$-0- for all of this work.
ZERO!
NADA.
ZILCH!
NOTHING.
In Colossians 3:23, God reminds us…
“Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…”
I do not put forth all the energy to meal plan & prep for human masters,
(well, wait….maybe 4 little humans that think they are masters – haha)
I do it with a glad heart for the Lord.
He blessed me with four little mouths to feed.
He gives us provision, financially and otherwise, so that we can prepare healthy meals and raise healthy kids.
I do not do it begrudgingly or expecting “man” to give me a gold star or pay me a wage for this work.
Sometimes, the “work” we do may seem mundane, unappreciated, or even lackadaisical, but always remember to work with all of your heart only expecting God’s omnipresence to see your service….. whether it be in your home life or your actual workplace.
Even in the workplace, you can still give more than you are “worth” in dollars to add value to others’ lives. Maybe you bring a lunch in for a friend struggling financially. Or you help someone on a project who is overwhelmed. These types of efforts are not done for money or rewards, but to the goodness of the Lord.
Be encouraged that in everything you do, do it with Enthusiasm (research that word) and you will be Living Scripture Strong!