I went from working for a well-known corporation, managing a multi-million dollar business, to spending my days as a stay-at home mom, changing diapers, microwaving chicken nuggets, and driving circles around the neighborhood just to kill time when the afternoons get long.
I’m just a mom, an ordinary average mom dealing with unimportant and mundane tasks from day to day. And for a while, I let the lies our culture spews about motherhood sink into my heart and settle there. They made themselves at home. Every time I tried to step out of my comfort zone, find my voice, or worse, dared to believe I had something worth saying, those lies would rear their ugly heads and remind me how unimportant I was.
You see, I don’t have a fancy title at a large company, I don’t bring home an impressive salary, and I don’t have a remarkable life story to share. I haven’t birthed quadruplets, written a book, become #instafamous, or done anything particularly noteworthy in my lifetime.
I’m just a 26-year-old from the suburbs of Minneapolis. I graduated college at 21, got married when I was 23, worked full-time as a business analyst for 3 years, had a baby at 25, and have been at home full-time with my daughter (and soon-to-be baby #2) ever since.
Yes, I’ve been through my fair share of trials, roadbumps, and challenges, but my life is not a particularly exciting headline. And up until recently, I believed that I was only as important as the number on my paycheck, the number of followers on my social media feeds, or the number of accomplishments on my resume. Despite spending my entire life dreaming of being where I am today, I found myself questioning if being a wife and a mother actually mattered. I felt like I should be doing more. I felt like other people were out making a difference in the world while I was spending 40 minutes chasing down my toddler, just trying to get her pants on.
I found myself in a state of discontent.
Until one day, when God stepped in and snapped me out of it. I was scrolling through a blog post during naptime when I came across this quote:
“I am content to fill a little space if God be glorified.” – Susanna Wesley
With that single phrase, my eyes were opened and the truth smacked me in the face. I remembered that this job the Lord called me to do is important because He called me to do it. I remembered that it isn’t the world who determines my value, but the Lord. And most importantly, I remembered that even in small spaces, the Lord can do great things.
After all, he chose Mary, just an average peasant girl from a small village to carry the savior of the world.
And let’s not forget about the twelves disciples. They were not the elite. No. They were mere Galileans, considered to be low-class and uneducated. They were fisherman and “nobodies.” They were considered by many to be unworthy and unqualified. Just like me. And yet, God used them to preach his message and become great spiritual leaders, the very foundation of the church. Why? Because God chooses the humble, the lowly, the meek, and the “unimportant.” He does it so that there’s never any question about the source of power when their lives change the world.
In the midst of my own self-pity, I had forgotten that the Lord can take the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary. Even though my job may not seem all that impactful from day to day, it will have a lasting impact. My kids will know what it is to be loved, to know security, and to have someone to trust and look up to. They will remember that I was there, through their first soccer game, their first dance, and their first heartbreak. They will grow up to be strong, independent, hard-working, respectful adults. All of the seemingly insignificant moments I spend with them will produce lasting impressions and habits. And those habits will turn into legacies. And those legacies will be passed down from generation to generation.
Yes, sometimes I may feel trapped inside my home with no adults to talk to. Sometimes this gig may feel repetitive. Sometimes I can’t see past the exhaustion, the sticky fingers, and the bedtime routines. But that’s ok. God put me where I am today for a reason. So, I’m going to do the job and do it well. I’m going to seek joy in the mundane. I am going to trust that God knows what he is doing and remember that the work I am doing matters. Even though I might not always see immediate results, and even though I don’t have a boss to recognize me or promote me for my good work, it matters. It matters to me. It matters to my kids. It matters to the Lord.
And if you ever find yourself questioning your worth, whether you’re doing enough, whether your status is elite enough or your paycheck big enough, just remember – in one way or another, God will use you.
Your voice? It’s worth hearing.
Your story? It’s worth sharing.
