Homemakers pride themselves on making their house a safe haven for their family. It may not be a spotless or professionally decorated abode—mine most certainly is not—but it is a dwelling of joy where rest and relaxation can be found.
One of our aim is to make our home a sanctuary for our husband, children, and guests. A place our spouse can look forward to returning to at the end of his day. A place children feel free to rest, learn, enjoy, relax, and be themselves. A place friends know they are welcome to pop in unannounced.
In my home, a large part of my homemaking is tidying up the house, clearing away clutter, sanitizing spaces, nurturing my children, prioritizing my husband’s preferences, and creating a relaxing atmosphere. Our home is not perfect. It is full of life. Most days, we are here all day long learning, growing, playing, eating, and living. That means there is always a mess to be cleaned and the work is never fully done. But that is homemaking is meant to be. Raising a family isn’t a box to check, but I revolving work to continuously be done.
Over the years, I have been encouraged by Proverbs 14:14 which says, “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.” One day my home will be cleaner and I will miss my children.
As a homemaker, I try to make my home a refuge to the people I love most. A place where friendships can flourish between siblings and dinner time hospitality has the power to turn strangers into adopted family. Much of the work of a stay at home mother is done for her family unit, but that work also overflows to friends, extended family, neighbors, and the community as she practices hospitality. When a mama is intentional with her family and diligent with her time, she gains margin to minister to others through the seasons as well.
Home is a place for healing from illness, heart sickness, or just a good old fashioned long hard day. It is a safe haven where mothers all around the world serve warm soup and continually refill glasses of water. The work of a stay at home mom is in a thousand unseen little things that add up to a well-loved family.
Homemakers are professional listeners well versed in the art of prioritizing relationship over the many tasks that simply must be done each day. They are always willing to stop and lend a listening ear no matter how long their to-do list may be.
Many of us homemakers are also homeschoolers. We are professional curiosity satisfiers. Our children ask us questions all day long.
We seek to answer our kids with eye contact, warmness, and a smile. This is the part of my job that takes up the largest part of my day. Disciplining oneself to pause the to-do list and tame your own thoughts in order to delight in your child and answer their questions with interest and consideration is an art that many are losing in the digital age where smartphones are dinging left and right, pulling our gaze from the ones who deserve it the most.
We mamas may not always have the right answers, but we guide our kids in how to find them. We set up our environment so that our little ones can become lifelong learners who linger over good books, world maps, and new concepts they hadn’t considered before. Our children learn the basics here at home but most importantly, they learn to love learning and never stop asking questions.
Whether or not a mother homeschools her kids, she is their first teacher. Mothers have a knack for keeping their home supplied with simple supplies that ignite creativity and inspire learning. She keeps open ears and a close watch on her kids, studying them, and providing opportunities she knows they will benefit from as they subtly enter each new stage.
Homemakers cultivate homes that are much like the pages of a scrapbook where memories are preserved and remembered with fondness. Some of us choose to hang pictures on the wall and keep a fridge proudly cluttered with preschool art. Others choose a more minimal approach to home décor but they take care to make beautiful memories their children can preserve in their minds for years to come.
Homemakers spend their time gifting their kids a childhood and making them feel loved, seen, and secure. For many of us, this means that we have evidence of life all around us because when you are home day in and day out with your children, home is where life happens and it gets messy.
We have art scribbled on the walls by little hands that yet to be scrubbed away. We’ve got foot prints on the floor from when the kids ran inside to show us the caterpillar they found in the garden.
When we look out our window, we smile at the branches that were carefully stacked into a fort against the tree in the backyard and the mess of boots scatters about as barefoot jump wildly on the trampoline.
We’ve got dandelions that our toddler plucked for us one by one sitting in a tea cup full of water by the windowsill. Homemakers have evidence of life all around them as they cultivate a lifegiving home.
Many of us are Christian mothers in the business of sowing seeds and growing fruit. Much of our time is spent pausing from housework in order to do heart work. We facilitate conflict resolution and share the gospel on a daily basis as we deal with sibling squabbles in an intentional manner.
Home is the first place where feelings are hurt and forgiveness is given. Little people get a front row view to restoration when we walk through this process over and over again through the years.
Our kids aren’t the only ones learning though. As Christian homemakers, there are a great many opportunities to humble ourselves, admit mistakes, ask forgiveness, and admit our own need for Jesus. Motherhood is not about perfection. In fact, our mothering often brings to light how truly imperfect we are.
The opportunities to grow in dependence on God and Christlikeness are abundant on the home front. God designed families in such a beautiful way. The overflowing, unconditional love we have for our children paints such a beautiful picture of the Father’s love for us. This constant reminder of His perfect love drives us to our knees in prayer, ignites gratitude in our hearts, and spurs us on to love and good works.
At the heart of it, homemakers are servants. This word has taken on a negative connotation in our modern world, but I see it as an honor. In Mark 10:45 of the bible, when speaking about Jesus it says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The king of the world saw fit to serve us. It is an honor to serve our families in His name.
In my current season of life, service at home looks like teaching my children, filling up sippy cups with water, preparing meals three times a day, cleaning dishes, tidying up our living space, providing clean clothes for my family, caring for our pets, and asking my husband what I can do to help him each week.
The work of a devoted homemaker is very much about healthy childhood development. Home is where humans are formed and habits are cultivated. As mamas, we have the ability to lead our children in the way they should go, teach them right from wrong, steer their affections toward the wonderful things in life, and give them the time and space to develop their own unique giftings. Home is where is faithful homemakers show up day after day to do the hard, mundane, and meaningful work all over again.
Leave a Reply