I Found My Answer (for now)...

In my last post, I was wondering what the bible said about women working outside the home. It led me down 2 totally opposing paths. One set of writings was coming from the point of view that says a woman's calling while she has children is to be and take care of the home. She should not feel guilty about finding ways to make money "from home". They use both the examples in Titus 2 and Proverbs 31. They quote that biblically, women were in charge or running the home while the men worked in the fields, or in town, or outside the home - and they were responsible for the education/teaching of the children, especially in growing their faith. The other set, oddly enough, quoted the very same 2 places in the bible, and said that the bible doesn't "specifically say a woman CAN'T work outside the home." And went into the what if questions: What if the kids are grown? What if she has no kids? What if the husband is ill and can't work? What about single Moms? etc. I have to say, the second set sounded a little off in my spirit because of the wording I kept running across. It reminded me of the garden of Eden where the serpent says, "Did God REALLY say that?" - using semantics and just enough truth to seem like a loophole. I also have to admit, group two dealt with issues from a more modern, worldly perspective, where we can't all just raise sheep and cattle from home. And living in a tent in a field isn't always an option to avoid working and paying the going rental rates. I ended up still unclear...then God brought something to my attention. I recently re-read a book called Chasing Daylight by Erwin McManus. In his book he wrote about how to figure out what we're called to do or not to do. Sometimes we're called but not right now. He suggested doing whatever you can to not get in God's way of blessing something. For example, if you think you're supposed to me a missionary in Africa, get your passport up to date, maybe take a few basic classes about it, put your name in with a missionary agency, then see if God blesses it. Staying home, keeping the idea to yourself, and never putting your name, desire, and application out there can't necessarily stop the power of God from making it happen - but doesn't it make sense that He probably won't arrange for a stranger to happen to knock on your door and ask if you "know anyone looking to go to Africa"? Makes sense, right? So I took that advice and here's what I did. I did research and found ways to make money from home. I've signed up to earn money doing surveys, reading emails from companies, and product testing. I also signed up and applied for temporary jobs in my area for product demos, merchandising displays, etc. - they're one day jobs that major companies hire out - so my name's in their file. I also have a little in some penny stocks I've studied, understand, believe in, and found highly recommended by experts. I also applied for a part-time job at a small, nearby, large chain mini-supermarket that pays more than most. Lastly, I continued introducing new people to my home-based business. Now I've put myself "out there" for God to decide what to bless and what to not bless. If he finds a way to put my limited-experience application to the top of the list for an interview, I will follow through knowing under normal circumstances, many applicants should be a lot more qualified than I am. If I never get called, and the home-based ideas pay off - then God will again get the glory and credit for that. I really don't have a strong opinion either way if I feel peace in my spirit that God is leading the way. I'll follow Him anywhere He leads, no matter what.