Your Greatest Kingdom Contribution

“Your greatest contribution to the kingdom may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” – Andy Stanley

I’ve been thinking a lot lately since I first read this. I know I am only 4 months into motherhood, but I am pretty convinced that I was made for this. I chased dreams of running my own business + of going back to teaching, but over the last few weeks, I have realized that I am most fulfilled and happiest when I am just being a mom.

There’s shaming for moms who can’t wait to go back to work after maternity leave + for moms who said they would go back, but decide to stay at home with their babies instead + for ones who stay at home with their babies always.

There’s shaming of moms who express how they miss who they were before they were a mom + there is shaming of moms who don’t ever want to remember what life was like before they held their baby.

There’s shaming of moms who immediately want another baby (wow, its so soon + your first born wont get enough attention) and there’s shaming of moms who don’t want another baby (because won’t your only child get lonely?).

Why? Why are we so stuck on shaming moms for their choices about raising their babies and how/why they do it? THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF RAISING OUR BABIES IS THAT WE LOVE THEM UNCONDITIONALLY. The rest can fall by the wayside as far as I’m concerned.

Anyways, off soapbox + back to how this all ties into the quote that I started with — we only have 18 years to raise these babies. Now, I know I’m 30 years old and my mama is still one of the first calls I make after a bad day, but she’s no longer the primary influence in my life. I have to make decisions that are best for me and Josh and now Ryder. So I basically have 18 years to raise Ryder to the best of my ability.

You want to know my number one priority in raising him? For him to love Jesus.

There are a ton of other things that I am aiming for — for him to be a gentleman + a family man + athletic + kind + humble. For him to love his mama and still want to hug me when he comes home from college. For him to be a good example to his younger cousins + siblings. For him to love to throw the football with his dad + to help his mom in the kitchen. There are things I dream about doing with him when he’s older, but all of that pales in comparison to making sure he loves Jesus.

That’s why I stepped back from the hustle of the online business. That’s why I stepped away from teaching for the time being. That’s why I spend SO SO much of my time with my son. Because I want to spend my waking moments pouring the love of Jesus into Him so that’s what he knows best.

So my nightly prayer is that I do just what Andy Stanley says — that my greatest contribution to the kingdom is the son I am raising. That everywhere he goes, he points those around him to Jesus. That my greatest contribution is greater than a job, a career, a house, my financial status, or IG follower count. My greatest contribution to the kingdom, I pray, is a son who picks up when I leave this earth with my mission to point others to the Creator.

XO, Hil