Thank God I'm getting better! The babies are doing much better too. I finally felt well enough to get some real work done around the house. I often read another gal's blog about her current struggles with being a SAHM with a new baby, her faith and even her struggles with the Church's teachings on NFP. She's going through some struggles I can definitely understand. So as I was putting away the Christmas decorations and finally getting around to cleaning the bathrooms, I was mulling over a lot of what she had to say.
One of the things she was struggling with was feeling that her job of being a SAHM was less valuable than another job might be, even though she intellectually knows that is not the case. She felt like she was failing at her job. I've been there!
The last week, especially with me being sick and preggers, has seen me doing a lot of sitting and lying on the couch. I have felt like I've been slacking even though I honestly know that I've been sluggish due to being sick and not so oxygenated. S has been wonderful and definitely picked up a lot of my slack. And I know he has offered up a lot of prayers for me to have an easier time with the kids and to get well quickly.
I felt like I was in the same boat as this woman. I started realizing something as I continued to think about her blog. Marriage isn't something an individual is called to do alone. A person can't get married by themselves. We are called to it with somebody else. The total responsibility of providing for the family rests squarely on both sets of shoulders of the spouses. Even in the cases where one spouse stays home with the children- its still the collective job of the married couple (despite what the IRS says). At the same time, marriage isn't about a 50-50 sharing of that responsibility. As much as I think the Footprints poem is cheesy and overused, I couldn't help but think of the part where it discusses when Christ carries us. Within marriage, we are called to be Christ for each other. We are called to help get each other, and subsequently our children, to heaven. There are times when we have to be carried and times when we have to carry our spouse. Sometimes we have to be carried because of our own choices and mistakes, but not always. Sometimes it really is about the limits of our own humanity, the limits God created within us to be our own crosses. When we shoulder the burden of carrying our spouse, we are acting as Christ. We are also joined with Christ when we fall and need help carrying our crosses. Christ fell under the weight of His cross. Simon helped Christ carry His cross. In our own humanity, we have to allow others, especially our spouse, to help us carry our crosses.
It's sometimes a hard lesson in humility to be carried. But I'm nonetheless grateful that S has had the strength to respond to his call to be Christ for me.
So now, I'm going to get back to work. Maybe I'll even get crazy and take a shower while the kids are napping. It's a crazy life for a SAHM!
One of the things she was struggling with was feeling that her job of being a SAHM was less valuable than another job might be, even though she intellectually knows that is not the case. She felt like she was failing at her job. I've been there!
The last week, especially with me being sick and preggers, has seen me doing a lot of sitting and lying on the couch. I have felt like I've been slacking even though I honestly know that I've been sluggish due to being sick and not so oxygenated. S has been wonderful and definitely picked up a lot of my slack. And I know he has offered up a lot of prayers for me to have an easier time with the kids and to get well quickly.
I felt like I was in the same boat as this woman. I started realizing something as I continued to think about her blog. Marriage isn't something an individual is called to do alone. A person can't get married by themselves. We are called to it with somebody else. The total responsibility of providing for the family rests squarely on both sets of shoulders of the spouses. Even in the cases where one spouse stays home with the children- its still the collective job of the married couple (despite what the IRS says). At the same time, marriage isn't about a 50-50 sharing of that responsibility. As much as I think the Footprints poem is cheesy and overused, I couldn't help but think of the part where it discusses when Christ carries us. Within marriage, we are called to be Christ for each other. We are called to help get each other, and subsequently our children, to heaven. There are times when we have to be carried and times when we have to carry our spouse. Sometimes we have to be carried because of our own choices and mistakes, but not always. Sometimes it really is about the limits of our own humanity, the limits God created within us to be our own crosses. When we shoulder the burden of carrying our spouse, we are acting as Christ. We are also joined with Christ when we fall and need help carrying our crosses. Christ fell under the weight of His cross. Simon helped Christ carry His cross. In our own humanity, we have to allow others, especially our spouse, to help us carry our crosses.
It's sometimes a hard lesson in humility to be carried. But I'm nonetheless grateful that S has had the strength to respond to his call to be Christ for me.
So now, I'm going to get back to work. Maybe I'll even get crazy and take a shower while the kids are napping. It's a crazy life for a SAHM!