Raising a Homemaker – Q&A {part 3}

This is the third in a “series” of questions and answers clarifying what it means (and, perhaps, more accurately, what it does not mean) when I say I am raising a homemaker.

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But, what if marriage and/or a family is not God’s will or plan for her?

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Let’s clear one thing up right away.  By training my daughter to be a homemaker, I am not definitively stating that it is, without question, God’s will for her to marry.  While marriage is likely, it is not a given.  And, it is my prayer that she would just as passionately and joyfully use her gifts and abilities to serve the Lord as a single woman, as she would if she were married.

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I do not see in Scripture where, or how, marital status changes the call of biblical womanhood: to be modest, self-controlled, cultivating a gentle and quiet spirit, pure, kind, and working at home.  These are the qualities that are “proper for women who profess godliness.”  Whether she is married or single, I still believe that she needs to be cultivating a willing heart of service and love for her family and her home.

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Whether she remains single, or whether she some day marries, I believe it is wise to utilize this too-brief time  of childhood and young-adulthood to develop the skills necessary to managing a home. (This would include, but of course, is not limited to: cooking, meal planning, cleaning, organization, grocery shopping, budgeting…etc.)

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But, at the same time, I also want her to use these years to further develop interests or abilities in other areas as well: music, art, sewing, decorating, literature, nouthetic counseling, accounting, logic, history, science, politics, world events…to name a few.  I want her to represent her family, and her Lord well – both inside her home, and in the community and culture at large.  I want her to be able to engage others in intelligent, coherent, and articulate conversation and debate.

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Marital, family, or employment status aside, my hope is that she will use the skills that she is learning in our home, in concert with the unique abilities and talents that God has given her, to create a welcoming and inviting place where she can bless, minister to, and encourage her family and friends!

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Coming up next…

“Marketable” Skills

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Did you miss {part 1} or {part 2}?

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And, again, if you have additional questions that I do not cover here (or elsewhere), please feel free to ask – either in the comments, or by e-mail.  Honest questions and genuine curiosity are welcome.