Recently, my husband asked if I would attend a dinner meeting with a couple interested in serving at church.
What I need to mention at this point, is our 2 year old son would also be along. I thought to myself, he had a good nap and it will be a quick dinner at a place with food he will eat, what could go wrong?
A few minutes into the conversation, our son was demanding to get out of his chair, pushing away his food and screaming at an unruly decibel for a casual dining establishment. To make a long story short, I spent the majority of the dinner trying to keep him from running out the door, while still desperately trying to be part of the conversation.
More than likely, I am not the only one who has experienced a situation like this. Maybe it’s feeling left out because you are staying home from church with sick kids, or feeling guilty that you have to miss an event because it falls smack dab in the middle of nap time. If I am really honest with myself, there are many days where I struggle with feeling like I am “just a mom” and not doing enough in this whole ministry thing.
Oh the enemy loves this, doesn’t he? To squash the truth of who God has created me to be, the Calling He has given me as a mom and a wife; to love and disciple our kids, to serve alongside my husband – and deceive me into believing I am forgotten in the mundane daily shuffle as a mom and simply not measuring up as a pastor’s wife.
But this is what I am learning, and the truth I hope to pass along to you:
The diaper changes, laundry, managing the after school schedules, reading the same story for the 100th time, playing trains with your kids, cooking dinner, are indispensable ways we are a team alongside our husbands in ministry.
Even more than that: the hours a day committed to keeping tiny humans alive and thriving has an enormous eternal impact.
As mamas, we can fully embrace this season with little ones at home with joy, expectation, and intentionality knowing that our work at home matters a great deal to the kingdom of God. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
Let’s set our eyes above the horizon, fixing our gaze on Jesus who sees and hears us, generously gives wisdom, gently leads us, and gives the exact amount of grace we need for each new day. (Colossians 3:1-2, James 1:5, Psalm 121:3-5, Isaiah 40:11, 1 Corinthians 12:9)
5 simple ways to be a team with your husband when you are at home with the kids:
- Write a letter of encouragement to your husband. Your kids can join in by writing their own letter to daddy or by drawing him a picture.
- Spend time praying for daddy with the kids at lunch time. Invite your kids to pray too!
- Send a text or make a quick FaceTime call just to say you are proud of him and are praying for his day.
- Be intentional with your conversations after the kids go to bed. Think of a really good question to ask him that will allow him to share more than just the basic parts of his day. For example: What was encouraging to you today? What was a meaningful conversation you had with someone today?
- Brainstorm ideas with him on a challenge he may be having at church, or something new he is looking to implement.
