“This is your last year, Bethany.”

I heard the Holy Spirit’s familiar prompting and I knew He was telling me that my season of teaching was ending. For months I had felt His nudging towards focusing on our family and staying home with our new baby.

When the school year ended, out of obedience, I resigned from a job that I loved. My husband and I tightened our budget, said “no” to vacations we used to jump at, and chose to keep driving our older vehicles instead of upgrading. Raising our daughter was now more of a priority.

But, me giving up my career and my paycheck made me feel like I was no longer contributing to our family. For months I struggled with the feeling of being the one in our marriage who spent all the money and never earned any to help in return. I felt like a leech sucking the resources of our family dry every time I would swipe my Visa at the checkout line.

I missed feeling successful in my career, making a difference in the lives of the students I had taught, and having adult conversations! Now all I seemed to do was load and unload my dishwasher while following a nap and feeding schedule. I didn’t feel like I was contributing anything of value to our household.

Maybe you’ve felt the same.

But mama, it’s a lie. You are contributing more than you will ever know by serving your family as a stay at home parent.

Let me give you a few examples.

Spiritual/Eternal Contributions:

• You get to raise your children in a positive, Godly environment. By taking the time to read the Bible to them, instill Biblical values within them, and pray over them –you are choosing to make an eternal contribution in their lives. And those actions affect not only their lives but their future spouses & families too!
• You get to help your child establish positive disciplines and healthy habits. Again, these actions will not only benefit them throughout their lifetime but also future generations.
• You get to experience an increased capacity to serve others. Stay at home moms can (not always!) have more time to serve in a ministry capacity or participate in other church activities that other full time working moms can’t. Kingdom contributions matter!

Child/Family Focused Contributions:

• You get to be the primary, steady, and healthy adult in your child’s life
• You get to be the comforter and designated caretaker (kids with a stay at home parent are typically healthier and less stressed)
• You get to focus on the success of the home (dishes, laundry, meals)
• You get to focus on teaching your child both academic skills and life skills.
• You and your family get to enjoy a less hectic and stressful pace of living—if you choose to.
• You get the opportunity to develop strong mother/child bond that can help you more easily navigate the more challenging seasons of adolescence.

For a while I struggled with feeling like these contributions weren’t as important as a paycheck, but now I realize what a lie that was! These contributions are even MORE important!

Mama, I know that this season is exhausting and a 9-5 job looks incredibly appetizing at times, but if God has called you to stay home during this season then follow His direction. The contributions you are making will have eternal impacts on your grandchildren and their children!

By obeying the Lord’s leading, you are contributing far more than you will ever know.

**Special Note: This is NOT a condemning post towards moms who work outside the home. If God has called you to continue on in your career, wonderful! We need mamas in all fields of life. I’m merely sharing with you what God instructed ME to do. Always, always follow His leading.

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