About a month ago, my husband and I were enjoying lunch at a Japanese restaurant when the thought occurred to us, “What if we switched roles?”
We had really been dancing around the issue for some time. I have been staying at home with our boy since shortly after he was born, but have dreams of further academic study and continuing my church ministry work with kids. He had realized that he was craving more time with our son and wanted to support me as I pursue my dreams. So… what if we switched? What if I studied and worked and he did the hard job of being the stay-at-home parent?
The name “Plan Awesome” was attached to this scheme from the beginning, which should have tipped us off that we would, in fact, pursue this course of action. Yet it has taken us several weeks to fully digest the various factors weighing into the decision: income, health insurance, job-hunting in the future, and societal norms (to a lesser degree).
With some trepidation but mostly excitement and expectancy, we have decided that Plan Awesome will take effect this fall. That means that our family life will be, as the Fresh Prince of Bel Air so eloquently put, “flip turned upside-down.”
One of the biggest factors in the decision that could not be quantified or analyzed on an Excel spreadsheet is faith. Looking at the fact that we will be taking some risks and forcing ourselves to embrace simplicity (see my July 9 post), we are choosing to put ourselves in a place where we are more vulnerable, but we think that’s good. We have in many ways grown far too comfortable and we wonder how that’s shielding us from things God might want to do in the life of our family.
We want to be wise, but also grow in trust. So, we’re seeking to walk the path of wisdom while inviting God to reshape areas of our hearts that are in need of some repair.
Our hope is that our family will be more squarely placed in the path of the Divine by making choices that require us to live simply and intentionally. Are we crazy? Perhaps. But in looking at the pattern of how God has worked most significantly in our lives, the times of discomfort and uncertainty have produced the most spiritual fruit.
So, there you have it. Plan Awesome. It’s our Plan A.
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