The Lost Art of Homemaking
As a little girl I always remember playing with my doll house, all my barbie’s, saying to myself, “when I grow up I want 6 kids all that start with the letter K, and I want to be a stay at home mom taking care of my kids.”
Oh how my little old self thought it would be such ease into that life. Yet, my heart was already set on wanting to care for my children. Tending to their cuts scrapes and booboos. Loving my husband well. Caring for my home with a cheerful attitude.
Until I grew up and it wasn’t sunshine and pretty roses. I complained of everything I did. Laundry. Dishes. Grocery list again. Picking up dog poop. Wouldn’t it be nice if the dogs could clean up their own mess?? I began to complain more and more only to find myself discontent and ungrateful in the beautiful things the Lord has given me. Ungrateful in the calling the Lord has placed upon my heart. Ungrateful as I began to compare myself, duties, home to others on social media. I began to despise the wonderful life, the beautiful art of being a homemaker.
What is homemaking anyway? We hear the term, we think we know what it is, yet we don’t realize the true meaning of homemaking. I have met some whom are ashamed to say they are homemakers because of the “modern” era. I also have met some who despise homemakers. My heart breaks for both sides as I once was there too.
A homemaker is a beautiful gift God ordained for us women. A treasure that has been lost and needed to be found again. A homemaker is any woman who tends and cares for her home in both chores, duties, and within her family. It’s beyond chores and duties. It’s an attitude of serving well. Caring for her family along with caring for the home. It isn’t a slave mentality as the world has placed it to be. Rather, it’s a true gift God has called women to be and do. Do we like to do laundry? Not many of us. Do we like to do dishes? Not many of us. But if we were to replace the attitude with gratitude, so much changes within the home and atmosphere. So much can be changed if we begin within ourselves by allowing the Lord to show us the true art of being a homemaker. But how do we love what we do within our home?
We must fall back in love with homemaking. And by doing that we must first love the one who created homemaking, Our Creator.
It is only by his grace that He led me to this place, showing me and retraining my mind to knowing the value of being a homemaker. He had to strip my mind of being americanized and modernized to being God-minded. He had to show me the lost art of being a homemaker and how it soon will be found again. He had to break my heart for what hurts His. Oh only if we could all receive the breaking of our own hearts to see what breaks his.
Being a homemaker is not being a slave friend. Nor is it saying you are invaluable or worthless because of this title. Rather, it’s a beautiful title the Lord has given us. Not as our identity but as our calling to care for what he cares for. What a mind shifting view and idea it is.
I began to allow the Lord to strip more of my own self and own thoughts to allow Him to replace it with more of Him and truth. He then planted in more passions within my heart by learning to have my own set of chickens (I share more here), learning to make sourdough starter, learning to can for long-term pantry stock, going back to my sewing of how I once did as a little girl with my grandmother. Learning to cook from scratch on just about everything. Helping care for my home outside and inside to help my husband who works so hard everyday. To relearn the gift and beauty of the lost art of homemaking. As I began to allow him to shift my thinking and mind, my heart grew bigger, wider, and deeper for the things he cares about. Seeing how we too, as homemakers, are valuable! Though it seems worthless to the world, it’s quite a treasure to our Lord’s heart. That though we get overlooked by others, he sees everything we do, even if it’s done with a grumbling or cheerful heart.
I laugh right now as I type this because in no way shape or form do I want you to think I have it all down, perfect, and never complain. Because I do have my moments. But I have to take that grumbling to the Lord and remember what a treasure it is to his heart. Because friend, it truly is. Homemaking is hard, challenging, and refining all at the same time. I have allowed the Lord to use me and show me what has been lost and forgotten so we too can become the Titus 2 women teaching and showing others the beauty in homemaking.
As I begin to learn all things of homemaking, my children see and begin to do the same. It plants the seed of gratitude, cheerfulness, serving one another, within their hearts. It shows that even caring for our home is a gift to have. That even picking up toys is a treasure to enjoy. That even mopping, sweeping, cooking, laundry, dishes, everything we do must be done unto the Lord with a grateful heart.
Where homemaking has lost its value to the modern world, where homemaking has been labeled as a bad rap, God shows us otherwise. And for that, I truly am humbly thankful to my Lord and Savior for reminding me and even showing me the beautiful art of homemaking.
Encouragement for the New Homemaker
Sweet friend, if you are a seasoned homemaker or even entering into homemaking, my personal advice, take a breath when things get hard. It will pass and it will be ok. We also must care for ourselves, nutritional and spiritual wise, not neglecting our own selves of eating, hygiene, and being in the Lord. The Lord is so gracious enough to give us strength to get through the day.
When entering into becoming a homemaker and transitioning from working full time, that also can be challenging. I once was there. But.. I can tell you the Lord will provide and help through the way. He will show you the beautiful treasure of being a homemaker and the value of it. He will strip the mentally of “needing to make money” or “needing a job to be somebody” to being free in Christ. There is such treasure and value in this that can only be shown by the Lord.
Never be ashamed of calling yourself a homemaker. Though the modern world sees it as invaluable, Christ sees it as valuable. He is the only one that should matter to us, on what we do and what He thinks. Nobody else. Our work within the home never goes unnoticed. Christ sees it all knows it all and loves it all too. It is our ministry within the home teaching our family and little ones how to care for our home with a grateful attitude. Showing them how to serve as if we are serving the Lord. How to manage time in a proper manner and how to set priorities in the right place. Teaching them to say no to what isn’t needed and being okay with saying no, while saying yes to the more important things. It’s a humbling experience of being a homemaker.
Always invite the Lord in your day asking Him where He wants you. Allow Him to lead the day. True rest and peace come within that time when the Lord is invited to our space daily.
Create a schedule. Does it have to be followed directly? Not necessarily. But managing our time helps reduce stress, helps to illuminate the less important for the more important and also shows us what is needing to be done in that day whether its groceries, picking up fabric to learn to sew or begin sewing, planting a garden, laundry, meal times, etc.
Play worship music throughout the day. Having worship music play in the background eases the atmosphere while allowing our hearts and minds to get filled with truth as we do the work God has called us to do.
And lastly, enjoy every season. Seasons change and so will your schedule. Never hold tight to your schedule but loosely, allowing the Lord to steer you in where to go and what to do. Be open for new skills He wants you to learn and be okay with messing up. This is how we learn through the process. Every season serves a purpose and grows us into maturity in both Christ and within our home.
Though my schedule differs from most with homeschooling my 4 school aged-children, caring for our hens, attending to various appointments for our miracle boys (therapy, neurology etc.), everyday differs from last week. And that I am okay with. We must be okay with change because change is bound to happen.
No matter what dear friend, you are valuable in the work you do. God sees the work you do and that my dear friend should be the only one that matters to us. Him.