Being a stay at home mom is absolutely the best thing I have ever done - and by "best" I mean most humbling and simultaneously most gratifying work I've ever undertaken. I have to admit, though, that I still struggle with not bringing in an income. I realize that I'm saving our family thousands of dollars by staying home with Thomas and giving him the gift of my time, energy, and (nearly) constant attention. But not bringing in a pay check is difficult for me to swallow sometimes.
Why?
Well, who doesn't need/want more money? I think we can all think of things we would spend an extra pay check on, whether it's things we need (in our case, a new car) or things we want (like that really cute shelving unit I've been eye-ing at Target). It would give us a little more wiggle room in our budget, something we'd all enjoy.
Within our family, Drake and I make nearly all financial decisions together, be they big or small. He might not always be with me when I see the 70% off clearance racks of baby clothes, but we typically talk about our money spending together and make decisions as a couple. And to be honest, I sometimes just feel (wrongly, I know) inadequate for not providing a source of income for our family. This has led me to a few conclusions:
1. Humility is okay! In fact, I "should" welcome it though that's more often than not quite far from the truth.
2. It really does call us to a deeper level of trust in our Lord's generosity...and that's certainly something I need to work on.
3. It gives me a golden opportunity to be more creative with what we have (and more thankful, too!) as well as more innovative in creating ways to make money here and there. It's also a chance to be a better steward of the money we've been given, using it wisely and purposefully.
4. And now I have just as good a motivator as ever to make that sewing machine come alive - nursing covers (and other baby gear), here we come!
I agree with you completely! It is hard not having that extra income, but like you said, it helps you spend your money more purposefully.
ReplyDeleteI feel the opposite, I hate being the sole income in the house. I think part of it is that I wish I was staying home with my own children, and the other part is that I'm jealous Jon has a fairly flexible schedule.
ReplyDeleteJustine,
ReplyDeleteWhile I can't fully relate to how you feel since I'm in the opposite position, I don't struggle with not bringing in money because I stay home...I sometimes wish I could do both! I would absolutely choose staying home with the kiddos over anything, but sometimes it's in the back of my mind that it's been years since a paycheck has been made out in my name. It's my hope and prayer that you'll be a SAHM soon...well, when God desires it, that is :)
Lauren, Recently I've been thinking a lot about how it's not people who have money (things) who go to hell, it's people who love money (things) and I am so grateful we don't have much of either. ha. But really, I have been blown away with the heroic generousity of others and the way God blesses us through them. It makes me grateful for what we don't have. Part of Travis and I are drawn to a simpler life - and I especially want less STUFF - but at the same time I feel jealous of my friends who can buy, not whatever they want, but a lot more than we can.
ReplyDeleteRecently a dear family friend bought Trav and I a new laptop. Not because we NEEDED one, but because it would make life a little easier and he wanted to give us a gift. While I am VERY grateful, I also told God I don't know if I can handle any more extravagence. It's easier to be poor, I think. Seriously.
Bonnie, thanks so much for your comment. Sometimes I feel like it's easier to be poor, but other times I highly question that! :). But you're right in that it really challenges us to not only rely on Divine providence much more but also gives us the humility to accept the generosity of others who desire to give to us. Drake and I, too, very much desire a more simple life...but then when we find our growing family in need of a larger vehicle (or other important things like that), I feel discouraged financially. But, our Lord is always calling us to a deeper level of trust, so I suppose it's just a prime opportunity to dive right in!
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