Reasons to Stay Home

As I approach the final deadline for telling my work what I will do next year, I find myself resigned to resigning. And yet part of me really hates that. I don't want to resign myself to a course of action. I want to know why I'm choosing whatever I choose, so that when life gets difficult, I can focus of my purpose and not on the yuckiness. Either choice will be difficult. Staying home can be isolating. Working can be stressful and distracting. I don't want to stay home just because of peer or family pressure.

So here are some reasons why I'm considering staying home...

1. I can teach my son the ways of God. This includes teaching, training, loving, disciplining, serving, and all sorts of things I don't even know yet. Granted, this is not excluded if I do work. Even if I do work, I have a responsibility to parent my son. Yet, there is a time factor that cannot be ignored. The more time I spend with my son, the more opportunities I have to take advantage of teachable moments and to model Christlike values. (That thought is very scary to me by the way. Who am I to model these values?)
2. Daycare is not needed if I stay home. I know what my son experiences and how he's cared for.
3. I would have more time to participate in ministry opportunities with my church. If I work, my time would be more limited and my ministry focused at work.
4. We don't need my income. I don't work for the money involved. Every penny I've earned since we've been married has gone to a down payment on a house, giving, or long-term saving.
5. I could pursue other careers--teaching piano lessons, getting a master's degree, teaching community college....

This decision would be a lot easier if I considered my job just a job. But I don't. I see my job as an opportunity to impact people, and that's why I work.