Motherhood pushed me into a world of decision making based on deep conviction. There are opinions available on every subject.
Epidural vs. natural labor.
Formula or breast milk.
Crying it out or co sleeping.
The list goes on and on. . .
I quickly started making decisions out of certainty about how I wanted to mother the sweet gifts that the Lord had given me. For me, one of the hardest decisions has been to work or not to work.
I feel so blessed to have children I adore and a job I love. Sure, I am juggling! Most days, my house is a mess. It’s not unusual to find a magic wand in my refrigerator. I have carried a breast pump to and from work every day for almost a year now. I have shoes that I wear to take my kids into school and then I slide my heels on before I walk into my office.
And right now, I wouldn’t change any of it!
God has given me an amazing peace about carrying these two roles in life. In those moments where I want to pull my hair out or I call my husband to complain about the fact that I couldn’t brush my sons teeth because he wouldn’t stop pulling on my necklace or my hair – I am reminded of the immense blessing that I have and what an honor it is to juggle the people and things in life God allows me to have.
But with that comes responsibility.
I must be intentional in the moments I have with my sons each day.
Intentional in love. Holding their hands – not just when we are crossing the street but sometimes at night at the dinner table while I eat with one hand.
Intentional in compassion and direction. They are watching how I treat the people I come in contact with each day.
Intentional in faith. More than anything I desire to point my children to the One who loves them even more than I do.
Intentional in discipline. Setting the boundaries and expectations that we hope will help them grow into strong men who love the Lord.
Daily I struggle. Daily I fail. And then I pick them up from school and they run to me, arms open wide and giant smiles.
That’s how I know we’re gonna be alright.
Are you a working mom? How have you found grace in balancing your roles of work and motherhood?
Welcome to G4M Jess! Look forward to getting to know you. 🙂
Thanks Adriel! Same here. Love your posts!!!
Daily we fail but that is part of the process. We learn as we go:) nice job Jess!
Thanks Elizabeth. Appreciate you reading it so much!
I love to see that you wrote this! Amazing person that you are…what an encouragement to others! So glad I know you!
Thanks Jamie! That means so much! Same here! 🙂
Your awesomeness is awesome!
… and yours is too G! Thanks for reading 🙂
Thanks for validating my daily struggles. A very timely reminder 🙂
Thanks for reading Debi! It’s a struggle for me too, everyday. I have to choose to believe that I am in the right place and soak up every single second I get with those little boys!
Awesome job! Great reminder by one of the greatest gals I know!
Thanks Sosha! Your support and encouragement means so much to me! Your blog is one of my favorites! I have always loved your writing and your witty sense of humor. You are doing much in the world just by sharing your story!
Great job, Jess! You are a wonderful example to all mom!
Thanks Shelley for the support and for taking the time to read it! I know you are busy chasing your sweet girl around, too!
Thanks Jessica for asking me to be a part of this! So excited to get to join in on the fun!
Jess, I love this post. Having been a working mom, I understand the juggle. I believe there is a very specific grace available for women called to work outside the home…especially when their kids are itty bitty. Thanks for sharing. So excited to have you here!