Sometimes I feel like giving up more of social media. It’s difficult since I promote my books through it a lot. But I think of it often. Not solely because I get addicted to it or because it steals my time. But it really does impact my spiritual life and my purity.

Being a homeschool mom allows me the opportunity to be very protected from the outside world. Sometimes I forget just how lucky I am. Sometimes I unfortunately cause myself to be impacted by the world from technology and my purity of intentionally loving God and my family gets tarnished. Sometimes I need to be reminded of the importance of my protection.

I Get to Be Protected

Now don’t I sound like an ultra-traditionalist? “A woman must be protected, trapped in her house with her children and housework–all day long! Don’t we deserve to be freed from such monotony and drudgery?”

My readers, I’m going to assume that you simply don’t have that mindset. That you have not believed such lies and have instead decided to embrace in your femininity.

I’m going to presume that you, like me, get to be protected. That your husband is allowing you to be protected from the workplace and from the world at large. That you recognize that, even things like social media, impact your well-being and ability to be a good wife and mother.

I Want to Be Protected

We, women, should really be quite protective of our protection. We don’t want our culture to need two-incomes in order for a family to thrive. We don’t believe our worth is based on our ability to have a professional career, make money, and be popular and social. We want to do what’s best for our souls–we cannot help, especially through our uniquely feminine nature, to desire eternal life.

I want my husband to tell me to stay at home. That no one else can teach and care for my children like I can. That no one else can take care of our house, to be its heart. That no one else can be my husband’s helpmate like me. And, instead of the possibility of being corrupt, my soul is worth a special purity.

I want to bask in the sun of my protection. Be contented. Be silly. Pray more. Have the time to care for my family. Develop hobbies. Be happy and positive! Have a pure, beautiful, and grace-filled soul.

I Need to Be Protected

In the booklet, Being A Woman: Me, Here, Now, Sister Maria da Graca Sales writes:

“To protect oneself from everything and everyone that is not surrendered to the one love, in order to give oneself to others out of love.”

I don’t want to just live for myself: my career, my vanity, my pride. I want to give my life away. I can’t give my gifts to others if I’m frustrated, negative, and exhausted from outside forces. I want to give my best self to my husband and children. That means I need to care for myself and eliminate outside pressures.

What looks like being “trapped” in my own home is exactly how I am freed to love more freely. To give myself to the little pleasures of nursing a baby, baking bread, planting a garden, embroidering a gift, reading The Secret Garden (again!). What beautiful pleasures we are given and all these things make our souls come more alive, so that we can give, give, give our lives away to the ones that have been entrusted to us.

I Relish in My Protection

I love that I get to be like Mary in my Nazareth. I get to be my in a little house like her. And be a mother like her. I get to sweep and clean. I get to pray. I get to watch my children grow and watch Christ grow in them, too. I get to see my St. Joseph guide and protect my family. I get to be under his sweet submission. I get to develop into a little Mary and watch my girls do the same. I get to watch my son learn what it means to be like the Child Jesus. God has given me so much and I want to relish in it all.

I give up the world. I am protected in my little Nazareth.