My Journey’s My Own

Working Mama’s

A Devotional

The family of today looks drastically different than the family of even 40 years ago. There are fewer of us Mommy’s that get to stay home to have our number one job be our littles. Women have always been in the workforce but for a time, here in the States, it was the norm to be at home. Balancing work and motherhood never used to be an issue.

That all changed drastically in the 60’s-80’s when the baby boomers hit the work force in droves. It’s also when divorce skyrocketed, coincidence? I think not. But that’s not the topic for today.

Our topic is how we do it? Work, raise our children, take care of ourselves and hopefully have some semblance of a social life. How do we balance all of it? Keep all those balls in the air?

The answer? Some of us do it and some don’t. Some are single mom’s who work and rely on their parents or daycare’s to do the bulk of the raising, loving their babies the best they can when they’re home. Others have wonderful partners who help them (this is me) who drive kids to their events, make dinner, and clean right along side of them. And countless other scenarios that I won’t go into.

But dammit we are all doing our very best to raise decent humans. We try every day to be the best mothers we can be. Sure, sometimes McDonalds is the best we can do for a meal, but so be it. We may not all read a story to them every night but we watch them sleep and pray for them every day. 

We are the keepers of the children. The home. The souls God put us in charge of.

Embrace your awesomeness!

Because you are AWESOME. God wouldn’t have given you children if He didn’t find you worthy. Having a job is not a reason to be hard on yourself for not being home more. You’re providing those kids so many life lessons. 

You’re showing them work ethic, strength, perseverance, how to provide for their future families, worth, skill, brilliance and a million other things that we all are. Now, if you’re really worried that being at work is worse than being home then what can you do to change the tides? Do you need to tip the scales? Make them no longer be balanced?

I was feeling this way. Right around the time COVID hit. I felt I needed to be home more. Now understand, my kids weren’t little, they were teenagers and 10. Believe it or not your teens need you more than your 5 yr old does. So how did I change the tide? I spoke to my husband and the kids about working one less day a week. They agreed. So that’s what we did. And I’m so glad I did. 

Maybe that’s not your situation or solution, but find yours. Make small changes to the impact you have in your children’s lives. Things that are manageable. I promise you they’ll remember their mom being amazing either way. 

Questions/Actions

Ask your children (age appropriate) what their favorite thing is to do with you. You may be surprised by their answers.

Do something little that they aren’t expecting. (examples: show up at school and have lunch with them, send them a card in the mail, leave a note in their lunch, plan a date day with them, etc)

When was the last time you told your family “Thank you” for supporting you in your job and it’s responsibilities?

Give yourself some grace, you’re doing fine Mama. 

Verses

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Col 3:23

“For we are God’s fellow workers, you are God’s field, God’s building.” 1 Cor 3:9

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Prov 22:6