Stepping Into A New Role of Ministry During Marriage and Motherhood {Are we ok with this?}

I see you dear friend of mine that was created to serve, to lead and called out with God’s mission for Him.  You are a visionary, and you want to give God everything you have.  And then some.

You feel like you have been asked to sit the bench for this season, or stand on the sidelines?

You are watching your husband, your friends and other women do the work you may feel called to. 

And you wonder why you have been asked to be still?

Many couple’s begin serving in ministry capacity together. Then life and the beautiful plan of marriage, ministry with children and busy distractions slowly creep into our lives.

I have lived this common struggle of adapting to a new form of ministry, where my husband continues on the path we were on, while I am raising babies and caring for our home. And it all felt wrong. For a while.

I wondered why I couldn’t do both.  There really is not a good reason I could see.  And so, I pressed into the work with my children tagging along and underfoot, and began to reap what I was sowing.

Plain ole’ determination doesn’t reap fruit, unless the seeds have been sown at home first.

This season of plowing and not planting left me like dried up and thirsting for rest and wondering how all of the other women can serve while in the thick of their motherhood season.

They were doing it.  But, I could see the same weary journey begin to take a toll on them.  

I am not saying that we cannot or should not serve while we are raising a family.

What I am saying is that when we begin to think that we are not replaceable, and that God cannot accomplish the end goal without us, then we have lost our focus and our true reason for stepping out to serve Him.

I cringe when I hear the word balance.  This could mean something totally different for everyone.

Bottom line – If you cannot love God greatly, love your husband and your children well… really well, while pursuing service outside of the home, then it might be time to give yourself permission to watch and pray and be the cheerleader for those that God can use well right now.

I wish that someone had come along side me and put their arm around my shoulders to say,  You are doing a great thing.  Stand in the gates for your husband at this time, and remember that you are still serving him, but on a different front.

Just a small hug and whispered words to me while I nursed and rocked and walked our babies back and forth would have comforted me and reminded me that serving the Lord and staying on mission can be anywhere and look different at any given time.

I rejoined my husband in serving down the road, and I learned amazing things about WHY I was serving and WHO I really was on the inside. Being home when he was out sowing seeds and making decisions could have been drudgery for me if my heart was not focused on the ministry within my home. Or within the hearts of the children God gave to me.

Motherhood doesn’t mean giving up your God-Sized dreams. Marriage doesn’t always call for an even-steven call to action.

I consider it a calling to support my friends, my local church and other ministries in prayer and encouragement.

Standing in the gates for our husbands while they continue the work for the Lord, while we raise up the next generation for the King is an even greater honor.

It is not about stepping away.  It is about stepping INTO a new role for a season and doing it well.

God wants every little part of us. He doesn’t need us to figure out where and when.  It just requires us to follow.  

About September

September lives a life of perpetual motion, loving the man that has protected her heart for 25 years, and raising 10 children to be more like their personal Savior. September has a heart for the hurting, and loves ministering to the generations. While homeschooling and keeping her home, she has written an e-book to the heart of women, titled Hula Hoop Girl.  Her journey through loss has taught her to be sensitive to the_ pain in other’s lives. September is the founder and visionary of the Raising Generations Today Conference for mom’s.  A non-profit ministry to reach the hearts of the generations and to encourage mom’s in their every day walk.  She believes in power of the spirit as we walk hand in hand through some of life’s hardest moments and celebrating life together in grace. September also writes for  The Allume Community, Mothers of Daughters, Mom Heart – I Take Joy, and For The Family. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, One September Day, Raising Generations Today,Instagram 

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