Blogging tips

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

.Homemaking - My Divine Assignment.

Homemaking.

It along with mothering and being a godly wife - and the three go hand-in-hand in my opinion - is what I am most passionate about.

As I stated last week here, I am not perfect, nor am I a perfect mommy, wife or a perfect homemaker. However, I am so very passionate about what I consider to be my Divine assignment. Making my home a safe, soft spot for my family is a holy assignment from God. Check out Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 to read His assignment to us women/mommies yourself. I do not want to start a debate or stir up controversy, but I struggle to see the Divine assignment that I have been called to in any different light. I honor God every time I cook a nutritious meal for my family, every time I sweep away crumbs after a meal, when I fold my husband's t-shirts, and put away my children's tiny socks, each time I scrub the toilet and decorate a corner of our home, I am glorifying God.

Photobucket

God has really burdened me lately to share my passion, my Divine assignment, with other women. I hope to do that more here on my blog, and in real life. I hope to share some of what has made homemaking work for me. It is a lost art for sure, and I look forward to encouraging other women and bringing to light the JOY that can be found in this assignment from God!

I didn't set out to be a homemaker. I had big dreams after I finished my degree in elementary education. My plans were to teach a few years, and then I wanted to go back to school for my masters in teaching. After experiencing college and classes that I truly loved, I longed for more academia. I found a place where I thrived. While there is nothing wrong with that per say, God slowly started working on and softening my heart, and I grew less and less content with working outside the home - trying to juggle two worlds. When I became pregnant with Cadi, I longed for a different journey. Jim and I prayed together and committed this area of our life to God, and I started reading everything I could get my hands on about being a godly wife, mommy, and homemaker. I poured over Titus 2 and Proverbs 31. I know many women have read those same verses and have come to different conclusions. But for myself, I could not ignore my Divine assignment. For the first time in my life I saw being a wife, homemaker and mommying for what it truly is - a ministry. A ministry that both my husband and I see as my priority ministry while my children are young and in our home. Not everyone can see it that way, not everyone will agree, but for me, for our family - this is where God has us.

Everyday is not peachy or rosy. But when I prayerfully give God over my days they truly become glorious and beautiful, and I am able to look past the dirty diapers, the exhausting moments, the piles of laundry and see what is truly there. It is precious, and it is fleeting. I know one day soon I am going to wake up to a quiet home, with no squabbling, but no giggling either, with no crumbs on my floor, but no chubby baby in a highchair, with no alphabet cards strewn across the floor, but no sweet little girl to teach anymore. I don't want to miss my Divine assignment, my glorious calling. I don't want you to miss it either, dear friend. I want to encourage you tired, frazzled mommies to persevere, to see the glorious in the mundane. I want you to embrace this glorious, Divine assignment of being a godly wife, mommy, and homemaker. At the end of the day, I know I will not have missed out on any days spent in an executive office away from my children, or surprisingly now I realize I am not missing out in ministering to other people's children - there may be days for that in the future, if God sees fit. Right now, this moment, my ministry is right here, with a little boy and a little girl who I so desire to share the love of Christ with, my ministry is right here with a husband getting ready for the pastorate, my ministry is right here making my home lovely and welcoming. I feel privileged to have been given such a Divine assignment. I do not take it lightly, and I do not wish these fleeting moments away. I am cherishing them. Every single one - the difficult and the sunny.

"Whatever parents may do for their children, they should at least make their childhood sunny and tender. Their young lives are so delicate that harshness may mar their beauty for ever, and so sensitive that every influence that falls upon them leaves its trace, which grows into the character either as a grace or a blemish. A happy childhood stores away sunshine in the chambers of the heart which brightens the life to its close. An unhappy childhood may so fill the life's fountains with bitterness as to sadden all the after years." J.R. Miller "Homemaking"

Photobucket

Looking forward to storing away sunshine in the chambers of two little hearts.

15 comments:

Tia said...

So beautiful! We sound so alike in our earlier aspirations! I graduated with a degree in Art Education and wanted to be a teacher! an artist! a photographer! It's taken me these last 5 years to really daily give over my self to what it is GOD has called me to be! The most important ministry, right here in our own homes, molding and caring for these little hearts that are on loan from God. I often picture myself as Hannah having to give Samuel back to God and really, that is what I am doing daily, training them in the ways of God so they can use their lives to serve Him. I've never done anything more difficult in my life than give up everything I thought was "me" thought was important....but the results are outstanding.....the blessings are so overwhelming sometimes. I love your heart on the matter. Please keep encouraging all of us!

Sarah Burke said...

hi tiffany! i loved this post. i subscribe to your blog now in my feed reader, and i always feel affirmed in my calling as a mommy when i read your posts, particularly this one! ever since we were both el ed majors i have observed your relationship with jim and i thought you'd make such a great mommy one day. it's so nice to keep up after these few years since college. thanks for blogging, i think you are ministering to lots of moms!

Mandi said...

Ah! I totally am with you on this...and just now while I was painting I just felt like I was worshipping God because I know our "new" look will bring joy to my fam!
It is a lost art...and our culture is evidence of that! You go momma!

The Ashworth family said...

You spoke my heart exactly - you do that so often. It is such a struggle for me to invite the glorious into the mundane some days. But other days it happens so naturally. I long to be able to stay at home - that is something that both my husband and I want for us. But for right now, I work part time at night while my family is sleeping and my husband is at home with them. We are praying that God will provide some direction in this area for us as we are seeking Him.

Carrie said...

Oh, Tiffany, I am in tears. I so needed this today. I am really really struggling with some things inside myself and my relationship with God, and because of that, and the fact that Z is two and at a difficult stage in his development, I am really struggling in my parenting. Please pray for me, and thank you for your encouraging comments on my blog.

Melissa said...

How could anyone disagree?! :) It is definitely a special ministry given by God to women!

Melissa said...

I just quit my job last year after my second was born. Many people called me crazy because my husband is still in school and doesn't make a lot of money according to society's standards. God has blessed our family so much since we made that decision. Thank you for the encouraging post.

Heather said...

This is a beautiful post and I couldn't agree with it more! :)

Sarah said...

I really enjoyed this post and I'm not even married yet! I can't wait until God gives me my own husband and lots of little children,but until then I'm doing my best to prepare myself to be a wife and mother.(I will be the first to admit however that sometimes I'm a little too idealistic about it!) :)

Nutty Mom said...

Thanks, I needed this encouragement! You make being a SAHM sound so glorious. I wish everyone saw it that way. Here I sit with my box of preschool curriculum, mulling over whether or not to crack it open and take a gander tonight, or wait a few more years :)

Stephanie said...

What a great post and a huge encouragement. I'm not a mom, yet, but as I was folding our massive pile of laundry yesterday, I was thinking how thankful I am to have this laundry to fold because it means I have a husband who wears these clothes. And when our kitchen was a MESS and I was getting it under control, I was thankful for the food we have to make the mess. I've been trying to force myself to see the good past the immediate frustration. Thank you for your words!

Sara said...

Thank you so much for the wonderful reminder of the calling that God has given to so many of us. Sometimes I feel like less of a woman because I choose not to try to balance both an out-of-the home job and being a homemaker. This is such a wonderful encouragement to me that everytime I do the dishes, pick up the crumbs, scrub the toilets, change the diapers, do the laundry ect...that I am doing a wonderful ministry for God.

Tammy ~ Country Girl at Home ~ said...

I consider it such a privilege to be at home with my children and teaching them daily too! I remember when I quit a full time job while we were waiting on our first one (we hadn't even started the adoption process yet then)...everyone thought we were crazy..."why would I want to stay home?" We both knew that's what we wanted for our family and we were getting a little too dependent and "used to" that 2nd income. That was 1986 and although I've done some part time work out of my home with the kids, I've never looked back. I've never regretted a minute of it and I feel so blessed to have been able to do so and have a husband that wanted the same thing for our family.

You are blessed, Tiffany. I see your mother's heart shining out all over your blog! I love it! :)

Hugs to you and your sweet family!
Tammy

Anonymous said...

Such a beautiful post!

Aunt Kathy said...

Tiffany, You have put into words my heart. Thank-you. Love, ~AK~ I'm sorry I missed seeing you at FBT on Thursday night.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 
Design by Small Bird Studios | All Rights Reserved