I never aspired to be teacher of the year.  If I had never married and raised kids, I might have had higher occupational goals. I certainly would have earned my master’s degree earlier in life, and I suspect that I would also have had a doctorate by the time I was 35.  But marriage and raising a family bring other priorities to the front, and I willingly left my career in education for a career in the home.

I must confess that for two years when my children were in elementary school I tried teaching part time while being a full-time wife, mother of two, and homemaker.  I soon learned I was not up to the task.  In those days women were encouraged to do it all—supermoms were in style.  I had to acknowledge I was far from super.  This was not an easy admission for someone who always worked for straight A’s.

I loved being a wife and mom.  I willingly chose to give up teaching.  However, society did not make my choice easy.  Books, magazines, TV, and even some of my friends were telling me that housework was a waste of my time, intellect, and years of training.  Of course, in my head, I knew this was not true.  What is more worthwhile than being a biblical helpmeet to my husband and a nurturing mother to my children?  When I began to doubt my choice—which usually seemed to occur when I was confronted with a bathroom in serious need of cleaning—I learned to remind myself of the ultimate purpose of my life:  to glorify God and enjoy him forever.  Surprisingly—or perhaps not so surprisingly—I was able to make the connection that providing a clean and comfortable home for my husband and children pleased and glorified God, and I began to enjoy housework again.

Today my children are grown and caring for homes of their own.  The amount of my housework is greatly reduced, and my retired husband shares it with me.  I am back to teaching, but only part-time.  I am still, after all, a wife, and I know I don’t have the energy to be both a wife and full-time teacher.  Teaching part-time satisfies my love of young people and my love of learning.  Since I teach at a Christian school, I can clearly see the connection between glorifying God and my daily activities there.