Life is not what is used to be. Whether that is better or worse is really of no consequence, the truth is, it’s just different.
From the beginning of women in the workforce as a common everyday occurrence, life has changed. 
It would be wonderful to think that working made no difference in how we keep house, fix meals, teach our children, get flowers, decorate, or manage our money, but in truth, it makes a huge impact. In some aspects change is for the better. Women make fantastic workers, they have insights, ideas and the ability to get something done in short order that most men will never understand or be able to re-create.
Men on the other hand were given the job of providing for the family. Along with that job, skills were given. Men are stronger, though women can go for that strength, truly their bodies are not made for it. Men are driven to provide and their brains are in many ways wired to do a job and get it done. Women, with all their emotions and other strengths were actually made for a different purpose. I realize that sounds sexist, but in truth, I don’t care. Is it really so bad to be taken care of and helped when things are not going well. It may be degrading for some, but I like it.
I love my job. I loved being at home cooking, homeschooling (a one sided love sometimes, and no love at all at other times), gardening, cleaning, fixing, etc. I wasn’t any less tired at home than when there was an outside job. But here’s the difference. At home the job was cooking, keeping house, and all that. Now it’s different, it computer stuff, being nice, (always exhausting), and various and sundry other stuff. At the end of the day, the job has sucked a lot of energy and time and regular “woman’s work” is not high on the priority list. Thus at the end of the day dinner is on low priority, cleaning house is even lower, and other stuff that that used to be great fun, sounds like too much work some days.
Some weekends are “regular” weekends. Regular is a strange word, but I think of it , as in what our parents or grandparents would have done over the weekend. Go to the Farmer’s Market, grocery store, straighten the house, do laundry, write an article for UC, catch up on a few letters, learn to take pictures or even bike ride and play golf.
This is where my job description has changed drastically. Besides not really every having a “regular” Saturday, Camp could never have been termed regular on any day. It wasn’t just one house to clean, it was a camp, it wasn’t just a yard to mow it was 20 acres or more, it wasn’t just flowers in your yard to water, it was a camp to water, it wasn’t just a car to maintain, it was a fleet that needed work. So this is a lot.
Part of the job description given is Scripture is to be hospitable. And actually that is still one of my favorite parts of the “job description”. Having folks to visit, family or friends or as we call them framily, since most of our friends are family, is wonderful.
There is no answer as to which is better or worse, outside the home or inside the home. Being a women Dr. is a tremendous help in this world, going to Seminary in order to serve others better is a high calling, teaching, is a wonderful and needed profession, and being efficient in a church is very helpful. So now comes the choices. In the quest to be a good wife and mother, what do we give up to be the best?
It is a different time. And I think the answer to what’s my job description is simple… Our job description is probably everything our Grandmothers did and all the things that we do now and here’s why. Rosy the Riveter taught us all something…We have the strength and know how to do lots; add in the technology that allows us to do it with more efficiency, that equals the way. The most important thing to remember is the hardest, (at least for me)…Placing priorities, remembering to put the things that don’t last at the top of the list, e.g. Having fellowship with the Lord, spending time together with the ones you love, making memories for children, holding them and reading to them and relaxing with them.
And then temperance, pacing yourself, because truly, it all can be done, our job description can be everything we want it to be, it just realizing that all of it doesn’t have to be done NOW.
I agree that scripturaly, our job description is to love, obey, & help our husbands. When this is translated into the practices of actual daily living, I think it can look very different according to what is best for each couple or family. Our job description is to do what our husband wants us to do and what is most helpful to them. One of the main reasons I have chosen to go to seminary is because I feel like that is how I can best help my husband reach the goals he has set for himself. Right now that looks like being there to study with him for Greek. Long term it will hopefully look like being a valuable resource to him in the ministry. All husbands are different, and each might have a very different idea about what they want their wife to be doing. I think it is important to remember that we shouldn’t fret over not necessarily doing all the “traditionally feminine” things that society implies we should be doing. We should be focused on doing what is best for our family at the time, always making sure it is in line with our husbands vision for our family.
You put that very well……doing what’s best for the family is the key. Although I would love to live like my Parents and Grandparents did, with a schedule and routine, it seems that in 30+ years that has never worked out. Instead we found routine in the unexpected, and learned flexibility, which in the end is also important
good post