Being a stay-at-home mom was always my first choice. Snuggling babies, seeing them do new things, playing with my kiddos during the day, and teaching them new things. I was looking forward to it all. And ultimately I didn’t trust a single soul to look after my babies but me. (Yikes, this is exactly how I felt.)
Now, staying home was a big sacrifice. I had just started teaching and making a salary to add to my husband’s for the first in our married life. It was nice. We were taking care of stuff, giving, and saving up for things we’d need in the future. But we made this transition together. Trusting God would provide but both a little uncertain on how He would. I felt uncertain if we could make this work or not. Six years later, I’ve felt some fears of staying home and not being able to add to our income as a family.
I recently read Rachel Hollis Girl Wash Your Face, and she wrote a chapter on embracing the mess. This chapter spoke straight to the heart of how I’ve been struggling. I haven’t been fully able to be with my kids because I’ve been fearful I should be working and providing more for our family. Or in the frustration thinking, I could be working and not messing with this junk. (Summer with all three kids!)
Something happened after I read that chapter, I knew that right now I’m want to embrace this mess of being a stay at home mom, and I feel like a mess most days. But this isn’t forever, I will work, I will add income to our family again one day. And God will direct all of those steps too.
So right now, my kiddos are watching disney, talking to me, my two year old is putting stickers on himself, and I’m writing. We can’t wait for it all to be perfect to move. I’m writing and doing things that help me feel purpose in these moments. Writing helps me stay present on the day. I get the huge opportunity to grow and write and read while I’m staying home. Which has been one of the greatest blessings. Getting to discover new things about myself and the things I enjoy.
So, if you’re a working mom embrace it, if you stay at home embrace it.
Don’t compare your mess to someone else’s togetherness.
Today let’s embrace it all.
taracogdell 
6 responses to “Embrace it all”
Hit the nail on the head again! It’s always amazing to me how God can use the mess of our lives somehow for His glory.
And not to say I know how you feel, because I don’t, but growing up in a home where my mom stayed home to be with us made such an impact on our family. We were messy most of the time too, but the family bond was there and that’s what mattered the most. Nowadays I wonder how Mom did it, but I’m grateful for her sacrifice.
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Beautiful words! Thank you! Really asking God today what He wanted me to share and it always seems it’s something I’m just now learning 😊.
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Man this spoke to me today. I’ve been back to work for about 8 months now and have struggled with all kinds of mixed emotions. Man.. I’ll tell ya, while the financial burden has been ‘slightly’ lifted off of my husband, going back to work hasn’t ‘fixed’ everything I thought It would lol! A whole new world of struggles 😆
But I’m learning, growing, and trusting that will see us through it all. Learning to accept things how they are, and roll with the punches and rely on my inner joy and not my forever changing moods and circumstances.
Sent from my iPhone
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Love this sky!!! Good perspective. I typically think it’s the next thing that will fix it but maybe it’s just the journey, the day by day. Thank you 💙
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Again you hit the nail on the head. I am reading Girl wash your face as well.( because a picture you posted of books you are reading) And the same chapter spoke to me loud and clear…I love how the Lord uses people to speak life into me!!! I so needed to hear this from you and reading it a couple of weeks ago.So encouraging. !!!
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Loooove! You are so precious to me sister! Thank you for your words 💙💙💙
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