For The Working Mom

Feeling good about having the house clean before sitting down to relax tonight. Well, atleast some what clean that is. No scrubbing was involved but I did atleast get the dish washer loaded and started and the dryer is currently going as well!! The scrubbing will follow this weekend! I find that my day is filled with many different things that have to be done. Some days I choose not to get them all done and other's I accomplish it all! But how do we manage to get everything done and still have that time with our family.

I find that I have a passion to encourage working mothers to be proud of the choice they have made to work outside of the home. I am not saying that staying home with your child is not commendable, in fact, it's a great thing. I would be a stay at home mother myself atleast in the early years if finances allowed it. However, that is not the case and I find myself working 40 hours a week. I remember feeling guilty in the beginning when Madison was first born. It broke my heart to leave her and go to the office but as I spent MUCH time in prayer about it I found that though I still longed to be with her during the day I was also finding God's purpose for me at work. I've always had the type of job where it involved helping people. It's been my passion and I have always had the passion to help other's find the good in themselves when no one else seemed to care. So I find it necessary to fulfill God's many passions in me.

So I encourage you as a working mother who has found herself in a situation where working is a must. Do not feel guilty for not being at home all day with your child. Find peace in knowing that you have found trust worthy child care. Next find that purpose in your job no matter what it is. Figure out how you can make your time away from home count. Sure, one way it will count is the paycheck that comes but I mean for it to REALLY count. If I am going to be away from home 40 hours a week it has to be in a job that I am busy helping people. Simply working for the pay check would not sustain my joy. So I have prayed continuously that God would use me no matter where I am at. Finding that joy has helped me transform from the working mother who felt guilty about being away from her child to the working mother who is confident in her decision to work outside of the home and knows that God is pleased with my life.

You become confident when you find a balance. God provided that balance for me. Though there were many trying times during my decision to work outside of the home, God carried me through those times and grew my passion to be a dedicated mother, a faithful wife, and a hard working employee. Do not let anyone put you down because you are not with your children at all times. Do not automatically think that because you are not a stay at home mom that you are not giving your best to your child.

Sometimes life throws us in directions that maybe we would rather not take but it's up to us the attitude we take with that. I have chosen to find joy in my work when I am not with my child but I have also chosen to find joy in my child at all times. I do not carry my work home because there has to be boundaries. But I do carry the thoughts of my child everywhere. There are days I am at work and I wonder what she is doing or if she is eating her lunch like she needs to. Sometimes I call just to check on her. I know that she is being taken care of and that our time will come just after work. There are responsibilities that come with being a working mother. You have to choose to get off that couch after coming home from work and play with your child despite that lack of energy. True, you've been working all day, but that's even more the reason to give all of your attention to that child. Besides, you will get your time once your child's bedtime is here. Take advantage of your evenings home with your child after work. Just because you have been gone all day doesn't mean you can't take off that evening too! We will on occasion take Madison out to the park after work to have supper there at the picnic tables. Sometimes we just decide to take her to the waterfront to let her walk. She loves that! And most evenings we stay home and make sure we are interacting with her and showing her that we love her. Then there is the weekend which we focus on making it family time as much as possible. Be proud of your decision to work outside of the home. Take confidence in the plans God has for you and trust him. Make God number one and your family next and everything else will fall into place.