I can’t say that my story is much like I anticipated. I did intend to be a stay at home mom. I did hope to be in some sort of ministry (ten years ago I would have crossed my fingers to be a pastor’s wife). But I can’t say that working at home speaking to all of you and writing books is what I planned… and it certainly isn’t the life I planned for my children.
We went on a family getaway a few weeks back for Spring Break. Two sweet moms came up to me at different times while I was out with my family and asked, “Are you Becky Thompson?” It’s humbling to know that the words shared online and in books have made us recognizable, but those encounters provided teachable moments for my children.
My daughter looked at me and asked, “Are we famous, Mom?”
The truth is, we can hardly calls ourselves famous. Seriously, there are plenty of people in this life that I would call famous, and we don’t make that list. But this is how I answered my daughter.
“We don’t want people to know our names unless they think of God’s love when they say it. Our job is to point to Jesus’s love… always. We want to make HIM famous.”
Honestly, these aren’t the questions I thought I would ever have to answer for my children. This isn’t the life I imagined for them. Do I love it? Yes. Would I trade it? No. But as our family looks toward our next great adventure, I have found myself in conversation with God about all of it. I found myself saying to the Lord…
They didn’t choose this. You might have called me to this, God, but you didn’t call them.
And just as quickly as my head thought it, and my heart prayed it, I heard the Lord answer it.
When I call a mom, I call her children too.
I let that settle into my heart for a minute. I let the truth of God’s words spoken to my heart remind me that He doesn’t only see in part… but He sees every part of each of our stories and how they all work together… for our good and His glory. That includes our children.
So, friend? I’d like to offer those words to you. Maybe you feel like I do some days. Maybe you wonder if the decisions you’re making for yourself are right for your kids.
When God called you to stay at home, or go to work, or work from home… when God called you to take that season off, or take that season to dive in, or take that season to wait and pray… He called your children to it too.
When God asked you to become a nurse… or a teacher… or a salesclerk
To start your own business…
To go back to school…
To take the job to support your family…
To go home and be with them…
When He called you to do whatever He placed on your heart to do, He knew that the very best place for your children would be found in your obedience to follow Him.
But He also knew there would be days that you would worry or doubt or wonder… “Am I making the right choice?”
So for those days… perhaps for today… or the days ahead, He sent us these words.
When He calls a momma, He calls her children too. And every good thing He has for us and our kids will unfold when we trust Him.
You hear Him. You know His voice. And He loves that You would follow where He calls.
So much love, friend. You’re making the right decision if you’re following Him.
Becky
