Church & Culture Homemaking Marriage Mothering Walking with the Lord 22 comments
The Prosaic and Radical
Morning comes again, and I awake to my familiar roles: wife, mother. I love them both. Thank God for His grace because I fail at them every day.
But sometimes in the midst of laundry and dishes, I struggle with how limited my world seems now.
When I was younger, I wanted to work in an orphanage overseas. I did go to Peru and work in several orphanges when I was 19. I saw poverty and love, and especially my own selfishness.
Now I am married with a baby, and I love my home, my sweet little family, my daily duties, the quiet spaces in which to meet with God.
Yet I am afraid that my simple life will gradually descend into a comfortable forgetfulness of the needy world.
The years will slip by, one by one…
and I won’t remember.
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I think of this verse from 1 Timothy, describing the worthy widow:
“and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.” (5:10)
Now and then I hear someone speak about being radical for Jesus. And it feels like a burden. I can’t move my family to Mexico or sponsor five Compassion children or work for World Vision. Not right now.
But I rest free, burden escaping, when I remember God accepts the poorest offering when it’s all I can give.
A high calling, that – all I can give? It is enough to consume my life, as it did for the worthy widow.
I seek wholeness. To give everything to my family, especially in this season.
Yet to know that forgetting the church, and the world outside my door would be robbing my children of the worldwide perspective I want them to have.
Being absorbed in only my own life and family might cause me to miss opportunities for outreach, even the small ones.
As the day ends, another day of washing a little face and putting toys away and fighting my propensity to grumble, I must pray for His Spirit to give me a pure and sincere devotion to Christ, and the good works He has prepared for me.
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I would love to hear your heart on this. Please share your thoughts on what it means for you to be a radical disciple of Christ in your small everydays.
Thanks for sharing, Elisabeth. It’s such a weighty subject that can’t possibly be ignored.
Thank you so much for your comment! I just check out your About Me page and noticed something interesting. Your husband’s name is A.J. That’s the name of my future husband! Except I call him Anthony 
Blessings,
Lina
Thanks for stopping by, Lina! I noticed that too. Mine stands for Andrew.
Hi Anna,
Just letting you know that this is not just a ‘at home with babies’ problem… I’m a little pre-that era (in that I’m married, but no kids yet! And I’m working full time) and I still struggle greatly with this stuff and I’m fairly sure I’m not the only one.
What to do… some of it is I think, realising more and opening your eyes and ears to what God is doing around you and joining in with that.
Oh yes, thanks for mentioning that! I didn’t mean to exclude other walks of life from this same dilemma. For me I didn’t really have a married-with-no-children window, so this was my perspective. And I love your last sentence… I think that’s so true.
my outlook on motherhood may sounds strange but I see it as raising warriors for the Lord. Yes I may be inside my house for weeks at the time (when sickness keep me here with the little one so that the only outing “church” is miss I don’t see nobody until we are all better)I see it as a ministry.
I minister to my husband so he can to the work of the Lord that he is called to do. Our children are learning about God under my teaching and they are trained to “LIVE out the Word in real life”
If I don’t do what I’m called to do for this season of life, I would neglect a family to learn of to serve the Lord with all their heart.
My ministry might not be oversees, in poverty but does help those ministries in a way, cause the Lord may use my children in the future to serve there!!!
Thanks for your comment on my blog today!
Amen, Renee!
Right now I’m seeking to be more “radical” in my prayer life. I long to have the faith and power in prayer that so many saints of old had. Reading books about and by those who knew how to have their prayers answered has been such an encouragement to me.
Yes, that reminds me… I was listening to this sermon about George Mueller yesterday: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/biographies/george-muellers-strategy-for-showing-god
Something my mom does which I want to adopt (and did for a while) is collecting any extra change in a jar. As soon as you have a good amount, send it to your mission organization of choice. She loves Voice of the Martyrs and Mission to the World. it’s interesting that you have been thinking of these things…I have too. I don’t want to become ignorant…so cozy in my North American way of life that I forget all the suffering that is happening all over the world. Of course, prayer is the one thing we can always do which is the most powerful gift.
A friend and I were discussing this just yesterday. We determined to hold one anther accountable to love our neighbors and DO the good things which our fear and our flesh often prevent us from doing if we think about it too much. My flesh can rationalize all sorts of selfish and unloving behavior! I have a long track record of not obeying those little promptings of the Spirit to show love or encouragement to others. I desire to be obedient in this. I appreciated Tracey’s comment about prayer–another area where I had a long record of failures, but with God’s help I want to change.
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Anna, I think many a stay-at-home mom has wrestled with this very issue. I know I have. We feel so isolated in our ability to serve, but we’re not. Sometimes I’ve felt if I’m not out there serving “strangers” then it doesn’t count. But serving the people that God has placed in our care is our first and top priority, and one that pleases him. HE is the one in charge of any other plans that he wants us to see. I don’t feel we have to go specially seeking them out; they will come as he brings them.
And in the meantime, “seek wholeness” where you are. I love that phrase you used.
Blessings,
Lisa
Definitely food for thought! This is something I struggle with being committed to finishing college, but at the same time wanting to serve in some capacity. I think it’s really important that we realize that we are to be missionaries in this world regardless of our location.
Oh, Anna, the daily mommy-ings of our lives…I have a little girl who is three and a half months old. I think of all the great things I could be doing instead of loving on her right now, but then I remember that THIS is THE GREAT THING God has called us to for this season. Emptying ourselves, pouring our lives into a little precious soul has ETERNAL implications!
Ahhh, such good ponderings! I love coming in late on a post and getting to read everyones comments.
Part of my reason for disconnecting from Facebook (which I didn’t address very deep in my latest post) is how connecting through the computer tends to leave us disconnected from the face to face. I’ve hid behind a computer screen for the longest time, I’m ready to reach out in the day-to-day. The neighbors, the elderly (for they are often the ones in the grocery store at the same time I am), the unexpected strangers God brings to our life each day.
And my children. They are our biggest outreach. They are fresh soil, tender roots, and our greatest heritage.
another thought, is about finding ways where it is not just about finding things to alleviate our guilt for ‘not doing things’ because this is not the attitude we should be starting from (where guilt is driving us) – bit of a fine balance. (I’m not suggesting you are by the way )
Even as a young single woman, I struggle with this a lot. In high school I somehow did not expect the prosaic and radical would always be so intertwined. I too, seek to be whole, a radical disciple in ALL of life. I love A.W. Tozer’s words on this:
“We must offer all our acts to God and believe that He accepts them…Let us believe that God is in all our simple deeds and learn to find Him there.”
He goes on to say that…”Certainly it is more important to lead a soul to Christ than to plant a garden, but the planting of the garden can be as holy an act as the winning of a soul.”
Probably the simplest way I can express it for me is to be ALL THERE. Since THIS is where I am, where HE has placed me, I have to be very present…not wishing my life to be where I want it. So I try to give myself to my family and my church the best I can because one day this season of singleness WILL end. (I said that in faith – haha!!) Jim Elliot has a great quote but I can’t think of it directly off the top of my head.
Hi Anna! Thanks for this. I and a couple of friends had been talking about God speaking to us to go beyond where we are right now. I guess, we`ve been confined in our own little worlds, enjoying the church and serving in an organized church set-up. But at the end of the day, there really is something more than just singing, putting up great lights and talking about Jesus in small groups. There is a big world in need of God.
At this point in time, I have plenty of time to go on missions.In the future, if God wills for me to have a family of my own, I don`t know if I can still do that. But being radical doesn`t mean you always have to go halfway across the globe and help poor people. We can always stand where are and be radical. I believe you`re doing a great job doing kingdom work even when you`re at home doing family work. You`re inspiring a lot of people with your blog and your children would grow up seeing you do this for Him. And you`re right, until the time one could get to go out again, he should not forget. 
God bless your heart! <3
This post was encouraging to me today, Anna – I totally understand where you’re coming from, and I appreciate the reminder to be faithful in the little things.
My husband and I have been talking recently about what it means to sacrifice for us, particularly in giving to those in need and to those who are ministering to those in need. Are we where God wants us to be? Are we sacrificing in such a way that pleases Him? Are we not giving enough or are we giving more and subscribing to some version of poverty theology?
This isn’t exactly what you are speaking of, but for me our giving connects us to the outside world. Beyond that and prayer, I don’t know how else I can participate at this point in life.
I often feel guilty for my lot in life instead of being joyful that I can do what I love to do and then work hard at doing it well. Thank you for the reminder to do so.