Listen Now
I remember the day I heard the doctor say, “You’re pregnant.” That news caused a flood of overwhelming emotions. I was newly married, had just celebrated my 20th birthday, and now I was going to have a baby.
My life changed forever.
I was excited and happy, but also afraid. I didn’t know what to expect. My appetite changed, my tastebuds were doing their own thing (I had the weirdest cravings), and my body changed daily.
I took a lot of midnight trips to the bathroom. And my baby would kick me in the side after I ate strawberry ice cream with dill pickles and Lay’s potato chips!
But soon my baby was born. The bond that formed between the two of us was almost unbreakable – or so it seemed.
My maternity leave soon ended, and I needed to go back to work. Emotionally, I was not ready to leave my child, let alone with total strangers. But I didn’t have any other options. I couldn’t afford to stay home and nurture my baby the way I felt the need to. During the first week after I dropped him off at daycare, I cried every day. I had to use Visine to clear up my red eyes before going into work. Actually, both of us were crying.
It was hard, but each week got easier. One day, my son stopped his crying when I dropped him off. Although that day was bittersweet, somehow I knew things were going to be okay. I felt guilty at first, leaving him at daycare. But I felt better after I realized some truths about working.
- Work provided income that I needed to take care of my son
- Work gave me a sense of purpose and dignity
- Work allowed me to increase my administrative skills
- Work developed my leadership skills
- Work taught me accountability
Growing up, I saw many examples of what work looked like in my community. I also saw the effects that government assistance had on families too. Although there were days I wanted to quit my job (I was exhausted most of the time), I didn’t because of the love I had for my son and the dignity I felt every day when I went to work.
As an employee, I learned the value of accountability. As a mom, I wanted my son to feel secure in knowing that I would be there to nurture him every moment I wasn’t working. Eventually, I found my rhythm in being a working mom. I was very proud of that.
Several years later, after giving birth to a daughter, I realized that I wasn’t a bad mom for going back to work. I wasn’t a bad mom for deciding not to stay home to take care of my son and my daughter. For my family, working outside our home was necessary to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. And by doing that, I was, in fact, a great mom – showing my love for my children.
You see, I learned that we are image bearers of God. Each of us was created with a natural ability inside us to work. Work allows us to use our gifts and talents in the workplace and at home with our families, just as God did on the six days of creation. The good news is that God rested on the seventh day from His work. And I can too!
