Home Economics

Origin of the word "economy" - Middle French yconomie, from Medieval Latin oeconomia, from Greek oikonomia, from oikonomos household manager, from oikos house + nemein to manage- Merriam Webster Dictionary, m-w.com. (Special thanks to my friend Jordan Capps for partially inspiring this post)

So, I've been seeing these ads in magazines and on TV from Honda. They are advertising their vehicles with a new campaign that basically says, "I want to accomplish _________ before I have kids." (I guess a Honda would help me do these things? Not sure what the point is, but anyway...) Some things on the list in the advertisement are "take up archery, go mountain uni-cycling, march in a Mardi Gras parade" and it goes on from there.

This got me thinking about the fact that I now have a kid. I am now "chained down" and can't go anywhere or do anything because of said shackles. Not to mention the ol' ball and chain I'm married to. All that's left for me is to practice my little home economics experiments and wait to be an empty-nester so I can get my freedom back. (I'm being facetious, of course.)

On the subject of "home economics", recently I was reminded of an alternate meaning of the word "economy".
I think this definition describes it:
"Theology.
a. the divine plan for humanity, from creation through redemption to final beatitude.
b. the method of divine administration, as at a particular time or for a particular race."

And funnily enough right after that one: "Obsolete . the management of household affairs." (www.dictionary.com)

Where am I going with all this? I'm a bit fuzzy on it myself, but it has something to do with a bigger picture, a bigger plan, the sovereignty of God, and the home. It has to do with God's plan for me as a wife and mother. It has to do with my husband's and my plan, our ECONOMY, for our household and our child and future children.

I hope I can say this without sounding snotty, sanctimonious or self-righteous, but here goes:
It has become plain to me, in my life, that all these "things" I want/wanted to accomplish before marriage and kids are nothing. They are selfish, a chasing after the wind. What's important in this world? People. Love. And which people has God given me to love first and foremost if not my husband and my child?

I am not ashamed to be a housewife, an "obsolete" manager of household affairs. When you think about it, this is a big deal. I'm raising up small people who will one day be big people with ambitions and plans of their own. I've concluded that guiding their little minds is more important than all the Mardi Gras parades or all those mountains that will be untouched by my unicycle. I'm so glad I didn't wait forever trying to accomplish silly things before investing myself in something much bigger than myself and my own desires.