I am currently a stay at home wife and mom to our three children, seventh, third, and pre-k grades. Honestly, being a stay at home wife and mom is awesome. I get to drive my kids to and from school. I get to be the one who hears about their day as they unload on the way home from school. I’m the one who gets to pick them up when they’re sick. I get to volunteer for class parties, welcome the kids and my husband home to a tidy home and warm dinner (most days). One of the greatest things about the role I’m in during this season is the tethers of time being peeled back from the corners of my anxiety. I don’t have to have lessons prepped, essays graded, or revolve my life around being put together and out the door early in the morning only to not return until evening. I’ve done the working mom gig. I’ve revolved our life and schedule around my job and, by comparison, the work I do at home is far more fulfilling and a far greater blessing than the paycheck ever provided.

I’d love to say that we chose this for me. That I decided to stay home when we had kids, but I didn’t fall into this role willingly. I fought against the Biblical role for women for most of my life. I was conditioned by my family growing up that I needed to be able to work, that the tangible product of work was what gave a person value. I grew up on a farm, so we could point to buildings, silos, animals and literally see the tangible result of a hard day’s work: a hayloft full of bales, a fence post re-secured, a trailer of hogs loaded and taken into market. I still struggle with not bringing in an income, despite the fact that my husband works faithfully to provide more than enough to meet our family’s needs, and that the base of our faith regarding provision and sustenance is in the Lord.

My husband is one of the most diligent and faithful men I’ve ever known. From the moment I met him I was drawn to him because of what I perceived to be a high moral integrity and he has not failed to maintain that integrity. His role in our family is provider, protector, shepherd, and servant. He rarely takes a day off work for himself, but will take one for me, the kids, or our family if we need him.

So, last night when I tossed and turned all night with a 103 degree fever, I should’ve known that he would take off today. But when he came back to bed and told me to snuggle in and rest because he’d already requested off, I was still inexplicably thankful for this measure of grace he extended to me, without me knowing or asking for it, though I needed it desperately. (He took me to the doctor where I tested positive for influenza A, started tamaflu, and after I publish this entry will be going back to sleep.)

The grace my husband extends to me is a daily reminder of the gospel. I didn’t ask for Christ to die for me. I actually was in stark opposition to God at the point Christ came for me. The Bible says, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God knew that His gift of salvation would be rejected by many. He came anyway. He died anyway and He rose three days later so that the grace of salvation could be extended to many.

Today is the day of salvation. If you haven’t yet received Christ as your savior, trust in the hope of eternal redemption through the atonement made by Jesus Christ on the cross, on your behalf, and exchange your unrighteousness for His righteousness, that you may be reunited with the Father and received into eternal glory.

We’ll all face the consequence of sin, which is death, but that is just the beginning of an eternal state where we will either face eternal judgement for our sin or receive eternal mercy for having accepted the judgement poured out on Christ on our behalf. Receive Christ today.

God bless.