Chitter chatter from to cradle and crib down the hall wakes me,
I'd like to say with a smile on my face but instead,
with a grumpy spirit.
Morning snuggles, diaper changes,
turn on the antenna powered tv, super why entertains my child with lessons on letters while I run down stairs,
pop a couple frozen waffles in the toaster along with a poptart,
grab sippy cups 1/2 full of milk, then head back upstairs
to find the toddler is yanking at the baby safety gate and the baby is chill'n in the middle of the king size bed
only to be greeted moments later by the preschooler all sleepy-eyed and full of grins to see that the tv is on.
~~~
Yep, this is a habit we've avoided for YEARS. Our bed is our bed but his morning Our Bed is full of Smiles, cartoons, and crumbs!
My husband is a youth pastor. We started our married life joyfully chasing after students for Jesus. As we've grown our family of 2 up to 5 in the past 3 years we are still attempting the chase but it seems to have become this triathlon rather than our former well oiled machine whose pace was perfectly in sync. As an irreplaceable, crazy 5-some we are butterfly'n it across the lake, 3 kids in floaties attached to our wastes, looping back to retrace the route around the correct bogies. We then jump'n from the water onto our double seater bike with a baby trailer and seat attached busting through barricades make of hay-bails getting dirtier and more roughed up as the journey continues only to muster up all our strength for the 3-legged-potatoe sack-race, baby harnesses in-toe, toward the goal with our skinned hearts, browsed egos, and wore down bodies, minds, and souls.
If anyone reading has mastered this "help-mate" thing as an involved youth pastor's wife while being an active mommy at the same time as maintaining her home, let me in on the secret!
I haven't trained for this kind of feet. I don't even know where to seek out this kind of training. But I believe, with all that is in me, I wouldn't continue to have these desires {to help serve alongside my husband in ministry, raise my children wholeheartedly, and maintain a home of order and peace all for the glory of God} if that wasn't what The One was calling me to do. I'm a work in progress daily remembering- all I have is through His blessing and all I am lacking is coming in His timing. Change me oh Lord!
So, for today while I can't be right beside my creative hubs at Super Summer AR chasing after students for Jesus, I will attempt to maintain peace and order in my home while loving my babes wholeheartedly, even if that means Our Bed is full of Smiles, cartoons, and crumbs for today!
*leave a thought in the way of comments, inboxes, or tweets!
hey jules ur not the only one having that issue and i dont have the youh pastor hubby. i find it harde and harder every day to keep the house clean, food homecooked, kids happy n educated( ive been told to start now) and have me time and date nights. seems lie i can never get everything done but hang in there and know ur not the only one strugglin. love n miss yall terribly…. tell maggie happy birthday for us
Thanks Heather!!! I pray daily for discernment. Which things are really God’s will for my life that day.
oh, and THANKS for remembering Mags bday! So Sweet! I’ll tell her; she’s pumped!
While I only have one little at home, I am in the same boat as a youth minister’s wife. When we were dating and at the beginning of our marriage, I was right by his side. Later, though, I entered into full-time ministry myself and things changed drastically for us. Now that I’m a stay at home mommy and partner in ministry, I’m simply learning what I can handle. I’m called to be his helper in ministry, but my calling is to be a wife and mother first. That means, for me, that my family comes first and if I can fit in serving alongside him, then I will. If it means I stay home one night to put the baby to bed while he goes out and hangs with teenagers at Chili’s I let him, without grumbling. I’m alongside him in SO much, but at this point in our family life, I can’t be with him for everything. And I know it’s going to be that way as long as we have little ones in the house. Yes, I occasionally miss out on chaperoning overnight events, but our teenagers don’t feel slighted because I show them attention and love at other important times. That’s just my perspective on this.
Thanks for the insight! My biggest failure right now is “let(ing) him, without grumbling.” I know my ministry is at home, especially with mine being so little right now, I’m just having a hard time watching and listening to the “adventures I’m missing” – lie from Satan. I am learning to find joy in being the help-mate that does the ‘kid thing’ @ home so he can better do the ‘student thing’ where it’s happening so neither is slighted. Thanks so much for the encouragement to press on.
You are showing the Love of Christ to those students just by modeling for them what a Godly wife and mother looks like. You are right to put your babies and Matt first, even though it feels like your missing out. I had a friend, say she has a thriving children’s ministry in her home, and she consistently has to ask herself how is she serving there? I think you are doing an awesome! 🙂 Love you, see you soon!