Friday, July 29, 2011

Keeping our options open....

(WARNING: this post contains opinions that may be different from yours. AN..every situation is different. I KNOW that not ALL moms have a choice. I HONOR YOUR CHOICES.)



I was talking to a homeschool mom in my co-op last year, and when I asked her what her 15 year old daughter wanted to "be when she grew up"???

Her answer was something that was such a blessing to me.

"She doesn't want to "BE" anything except a good wife an Mother."

I stood there...
BAFFLED.

My eyes started to tear up.

In a world where women at taught that in order to be "of value" they have to "be equal" to men. They have to earn the same(or more). They have to be able to do the same things(or more). They have to be "as good as men are" at "men things".

THAT was unheard of for a MOTHER to say about her daughter
THAT was refreshing.
It made me HAPPY.

Not because I was glad she was making the choice NOT TO go to college.
But...
Because I was delighted in the fact that was a YOUNG woman, she looked at being a mother and a wife AS A CAREER CHOICE.
She saw it as something OF VALUE.
She wasn't brought up to believe that she HAD TO GO TO SCHOOL to be fufilled.
That doesen't mean she WON'T.
It means she has a CHOICE.
She can ALSO make a choice to go to school and then NOT USE HER DEGREE ..if she finds a husband and becomes a mother.
And that would ALSO be HONORABLE.
She was brought up to KNOW that in life being a GREAT MOTHER and WIFE...CAN BE A CAREER.
It can be JUST As FULFILLING to raise a family...
as it is to raise your bank balance- if she has a choice...
or KNOWS she has the OPTION.
If it IS an OPTION...FOR HER.
Sometimes it is an sometimes it isn't.

I made me really think about the daughters I have.
I want them to know that college is an OPTION.
But...
so is being a mother an a wife.

I want them to know that sometimes fulfilling your GOD-GIVEN role has JUST as many PERKS, carries insurance, and PAYS well...as long as you accept LOVE as a payment rather than MONEY.

Being a SAHM is the best decision I ever made...because I had the OPTION.


...................................................................................
Proverbs 31:10-31
[1] An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself [2] with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet. [3]
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

4 comments:

jenny said...

Well said!

Charli Armstrong said...

Oh my goodness, that is BEAUTIFUL!

Great Life Photography said...

LOVE this ... I wish that the whole world would understand the OPTION! ... I'm beginning to think I just need to run your blog entries as a parenting column.

Dad said...

miss you