Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Blessed and Privileged

50shousewife

   Last Sunday, after the evening service we went out with some friends (this is a pretty common occurrence). In the course of conversation it came up that the following day was Monday. This brought sighs and  groans from nearly everyone at the table. The ladies that were present made comments like “Oh I’m not ready to go back to work yet!” and several more in that vein. The following morning I got on Facebook and saw posts along the lines of “Back to work….sure missing baby girl” and  “So ready to be home already.”

   We ladies who are privileged to stay at home are blessed beyond measure. We don’t live in dread of the workdays and the office and we only have to concern ourselves with our husbands and families. We have been spared a lot of stress and anxiety.

    I am so blessed to have a husband who allows and wants me to line up with God’s plan.  He works very hard so that I can stay at home. The Lord has blessed us so many times over the last 18-19 months. People have been amazed at how He has provided for our every need.

   When we first married there was some resistance to me staying at home. Some couldn’t understand why I didn’t just get a job for a little while to help out and get us in a better position financially. They thought we were being foolish and irresponsible. Whenever you are in the Lord’s will, there will always be naysayers and ones who discourage you.

   But as we tried our best to stay in His will and live according to His word, He has never let us be in need. He has provided for every need, right on time, sometimes in ways that we never dreamed possible.

     I have to stop and give honor to my husband for a minute. It was huge step of faith for him to let me stay at home. He grew up in a two-income family that had trouble making ends meet at times. If it had not been for his mother’s jobs, they wouldn’t have made it, I’ve been told. So with these memories and knowing the difficulties of making ends meet with two incomes, it was a huge step for him to keep his wife at home. He has told me that he honestly in the beginning didn’t know how we could do it on just his income, but we have. He gives all credit to the Lord for making things work and providing for us. We are now in a considerably better financial position than when we married and are almost completely out of debt. Not only has the Lord provided what we needed, but He has gone above and beyond and allowed us to get out from under some burdens.  

I don’t want to give the impression that life is all chocolates and roses because I’m a stay at home wife. Being a stay at home wife does not magically double or triple what is in your bank account. We still have to live by faith on a daily basis and trust the Lord to provide for us. There are times when it gets pretty close and scary and we wonder if we are going to come out alright—but He ALWAYS comes through and NEVER FAILS. He rewards and responds to our faith and obedience—every time.

6 comments:

  1. I've silently read your blog for awhile but I had to leave a comment after reading this post! I had a job when my husband and I first got married. I was SO depressed. I hated going to work everyday, and even cried in the parking lot a few times. We were in some debt and my husbands job wasn't great so I thought I didn't have a choice. Just two months after getting married, I got fired. Most people would see that as bad, but it was such a blessing to me! That was nearly three years ago and I've been a stay at home wife since and could not be happier. Thanks for sharing this, because it reminds me that I truly am blessed to be a housewife and have a husband able to provide for us!

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing your story with me! Yes, we are so blessed, and I am thankful for the reminders the Lord sends my way periodically to help me realize--again--how truly blessed I am to stay at home.
      Thanks for reading and commenting! It's a joy to have you here.
      ~Rebecca

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  2. A beautiful, inspiring post, Rebecca! Though I'm not a wife yet, I can certainly understand the struggles of one-income finances. God is very good, and never fails to provide for those who do His will. It is a hard road, but definitely one I plan to walk if He blesses me with marriage. :-) Still praying about the house possibilitiy and I hope you're having a good day.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Petra! It is a hard road at times, but the blessings far outweigh the burdens.

      ~Rebecca

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  3. "There are times when it gets pretty close and scary and we wonder if we are going to come out alright—but He ALWAYS comes through and NEVER FAILS. He rewards and responds to our faith and obedience—every time." --> Thank you for these words. It's the same for us and it's good to be pointed at the promises of the Lord.

    We have experienced the same thing, you can feel people thinking that's irresponsible for me to stay at home as much as I do ( I did work for 1 morning though) without having a child and while saving for an adoption. Couldn't I better work a lot now, so we can save a lot of money and help my husband out this way? I've never wanted to stay at home but I noticed that I hated to work outside the home a lot and discovered my feminine place in marriage. I didn't hate my work any more after I became a teacher, but I could never work for lots of hours any more now, I've found my place at home, caring for my husband and house. But I am struggling with it, to get organised & to get things done. There's no boss here (however I tell my self my boss is God), nobody is watching how hard I work, so my motivation and discipline have to be leading in my live. I've never been brought up to joyfully serve in my home, so it's all new, exiting and sometimes -yes- hard. So I thank you for your encouraging article. Blessings, Annemieke

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    1. Annemieke,
      So glad that I could be an encouragement to you! It always makes my day when I know that the Lord has used something I've written to encourage a fellow sister.
      How exciting about this new season of life and all of the things you are learning during it.
      I understand completely about trying to get things organized and on a schedule, and be consistent with that schedule. Once I was in my own home and (like you said) had God for my boss, it took more of an effort to be disciplined and stay on top of things.
      So happy for you!
      Rebecca

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