I was a terrible mom.

They didn’t say it in so many words, but one by one, the other mothers let me know I was short-changing my kids. My offense?

I threw away the paint.

My kids are not the best about cleaning up after themselves – and liquid paint was beyond most of their ability to clean up thoroughly. With adrenal fatigue as a constant companion, making extra cleanup work for me is a pretty big deal. It made the most sense to me to eliminate this major source of stress.

Despite the abundance of paper, crayons, markers, glue, etc. in my house, the pan-style watercolors I’d kept, the sidewalk chalk that almost constantly decorates my driveway, apparently by ditching the bottled paint, I was depriving my children of the opportunity to exercise creativity.

On this particular occasion, I was comfortable enough in my decision that I just inwardly rolled my eyes and moved on, but there have been other occasions when the comparisons hurt. Comparisons others made, or even comparisons I made myself.

Have you ever had that experience? Where it feels like there’s a “right” way to be a mom or run a house – and it’s not the way you’re doing it? Like there’s some “perfect Christian homemaker,” and you’re not it? Or there’s one single “feminine personality type” and you got the wrong one?

Authentic.

You’re not a mistake. God gave you exactly the personality He wanted you to have…and there’s not one perfect way to run a house, be a wife, or raise kids.

This is what authenticity is all about. God made you a woman.* He placed you into your home. He gave you your family. He knew what He was doing and He doesn’t expect you to turn into someone else.

There are unchanging principles for godly homemaking, but there are 1,001 different ways to put them into practice. Your way doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. (Although most of us will borrow from each other’s methods. There’s nothing new under the sun!) To borrow from 1 Corinthians, eyes shouldn’t try to be ears.

Authentic Christian homemaking means putting biblical principles into practice to manage your home and love your family while being the best you that you can be.

Maybe you’re the artsy mom. Maybe you’re not. Whatever “type” of wife/mom/homemaker you are, just be you…to the glory of God.

*Unless you’re actually a guy reading this, in which case, use your common sense and adjust this message as appropriate.

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