Tonight as I was driving home from the store I was listening to the radio. A testimonial came on. I slowly melted into a puddle as the man described how he had friends who had built empires, owned lake houses, and drove expensive cars. His final thoughts were something along the lines of, “I realize now that although my net worth or real estate portfolio may not be impressive to others, I’ve chosen to make my family my most important investment. I’ve never missed an opportunity to invest in my son or daughter or go on a date with my wife. So even though I may not be ‘rich’ in the eyes of the world, my investment is is the things of greatest value.”
Wow! This resonated with me so much as a mom! I can only guess it resonates with you too. Dan and I have made some major sacrifices in life to raise our 4 beautiful babies. I’ve given up my career. We’ve also given up driving “nice” cars (hello, smudgy fingerprints on every surface). We typically have toys scattered throughout most rooms of our house rather than a Pinterest worthy house. But I’ve never regretted these beautiful “investments”. They are my greatest treasures. No amount of money, stuff, greater financial security, a bigger house, more investments, nothing could ever be a more worthy investment than my family.
If you’re a mom or dad and it seems like right now you’re not getting ahead financially, don’t forget to factor in other investments. Your momvestments, the investments you’re making in your kids, is worthy. This might not be the season for picking up extra side hustles or hours at work. Evenings might be spent at kids’ activities or around the family dinner table instead. Your greatest investment, paying the highest dividends, just might be someone. I love stewardship. I love talking about saving, giving, and investing. But this post is a reminder that there’s much more to life than money! Money alone will leave you empty, discontent, and alone, if not for the people you share it with.
Don’t forget to make your momvestments, the investments in your kids, your greatest legacy. Below are a few of our “investment goals”, if you will, as we raise our kids. What would you add to the list?
5 ways we’re investing in our kids today:
Teaching them to be kind, generous, serve others, and love one another.
Developing responsibility through household chores. Every person has a valuable role in our family.
Educating them about stewardship, delayed gratification, and the value of money.
Preparing their hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits through an edifying, peaceful, and joy-filled education experience.
Investing in our faith, our marriage, our personal health, and our financial well-being so our kids feel secure and loved.
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