Roles

As a solo parent, I carry the entirety of the household. Usually, during the week, I work the “Mom” jobs – laundry, cleaning, cooking/feeding, maintaining the household, making my house into the home I want it to become. On the weekend, I do the “Dad” type jobs – mow the grass, chicken coops, clean the yard, wash the vehicles. Lately, I’ve had bigger projects going on, such as repairing an electrical outlet, getting the pool going, digging a trench to bury the power for the pool pump.

Last week, my schedule got thrown off by a broken water line. I spent Tuesday evening repairing that so I didn’t get to my Tuesday chores. I had to play catch up for the rest of the week. Needless to say, it was a long week.

Now, don’t come at me for assigning roles to genders. I fully believe that all chores belong to all people. In the past, I would pick up a frying pan just as quick as I would a weed-eater. I don’t believe that a husband is helping his wife out by doing the dishes. If you live there, eat there, bathe there, dress there, then you should do it. Does it help your partner if you do the things? Absolutely! If you can see the full trash can, dirty dishes, long grass, etc., chances are they can too. And they’ve probably filed it away in the “To Get Done” list. It’s very refreshing to move on to the next chore only to find it already done.

Ok. Soapbox moment over.

As I look over the roles that I fill, I began to think of roles that don’t change. I’m a mom. That part didn’t change. It changed in how I approach it, because now I’m Dad too, but I’m still a mom, a solo parent. My job at work hasn’t changed, except that with the growth in my position, I have taken on more responsibilities. How I’ve done my job has been different in that, some days, I just need a lighter day. Bottom line is that I have expectations placed on me, and I need to meet them. At church, over the last year-ish, I have stepped back from some of the roles I filled. I still read the word daily. I still do studies, and seek out time with God. How that has changed is that I am constantly digging for new podcasts, and messages, clinging to the word more. I cry out to Him more.

And I can do that. He is there, an ever-present help in time of trouble. A rock to stand on when your world is shaken. A lighthouse in the darkest of nights. In all that has happened since this journey started with Covid in Sept 2021, His role has never changed. He has never stepped back from that role. If anything, God has shined even more. But really, that change was not on his part, because he’s always been there. Maybe I changed. I definitely changed. I opened my eyes more. I cried out to Him more. I learned that it was through Him that I can do all things. I learned not to lean on my own strength so much as I have leaned on Him.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39.