Some Thoughts I’m Mulling Around

For the past year or so I’ve had a burden you might say for some of the women I meet who want to stay home with their kids but for financial reasons cannot. It’s not something that plagues me or that I even pray about on a daily basis. It’s more of a thought that comes up every now and then just like it would for anyone but when it does it strikes a cord very deep inside that causes a bit of a pain. It reaches me I guess, and it causes me to want to do something. When that happens I do pray about it and I have felt a desire to minister in some way to these women. The practical side of me knows, and when I talk to Kris about it is confirmed, that there’s not much I can do. I can’t give these women money to stay home, I can’t make decisions for them and I can’t change their lifestyles or their husbands.

There are many many reasons that women find themselves in this situation and some of those reasons are legitimate need regardless of good decisions or proper budgeting. However I would say most, are simply poor planning, poor choices or poor budgeting. I believe there are a lot of women (and men) who do not consider realistically what they can live without in order to make staying home a possibility. Some, just need the faith to do it and again…I can’t do that for them. So, it would seem, that though I feel a pure desire to help, there is nothing I could do to help.

I had just spoken to Kris about this last week and felt again the urgency to help but the frustration of not being able to. Being in the nursing mother’s room led to lots of dead end conversations on the subject. I did a bit of praying on the subject and just asked God to tell me what I could do if anything at all.

This past weekend, our church sponsored a business fair of sorts. Those church members who own their own businesses were invited to participate either by putting their business information in a directory or by renting a booth to be set up around the sanctuary all of Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. There were several who participated and the hallways and foyer were full of tables and interested parishioners. On my way to the nursing mothers room I noticed a booth where a woman I know was presenting her embroidery. She has invested in a machine and started a business over the past several months to raise money in order to stay home with her two young sons. She said this almost immediately and it suddenly hit me that maybe instead of handing women money or something to do, I should market those who are already doing something. A light went on and interestingly enough Pastor Davis expressed a similar passion as his vision for his own ministry in the future. A desire to see people succeed. Going beyond personal success to investing in the success of others. It was somewhat confirming to hear his take on it.

After talking to Kris about it and expressing my thoughts, I explained that with the three little boys, I am not ready to just dive into this. I want a little breathing room first, but I think that’s what God wants. I have time to pray and hear from Him regarding what my next step would be and who to talk to and how to go about doing something like this. There are already thoughts of networking, teaching, investing, time management and parenting classes, marketing and advertising swimming around in my brain but I will not move on anything until I know exactly where to place my little foot. It could be years before I know what to do. It could be that I am supposed to hook up with someone already doing this or who has the same burden and has more free time. I don’t know. It doesn’t have to be something I lead or am in charge of. I just know I want to be involved.

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105