From climbing ladders to tending gardens: How motherhood showed me who I want to be

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the guest author.

From the time we’re little girls, the world tells us that ‘success’ looks like chasing dreams with relentless drive. Hustle hard. Be unstoppable. Never settle. And in a lot of ways, I understand that. I live with fire in my heart and a to-do list in my hand.

But when I became a mother, something in me shifted — not because I lost who I was, but because I gained clarity about who I want to be. The achievements that once defined me became background music to the steady rhythm of motherhood. Holding my son in my arms, looking into his tiny eyes, I understood a kind of purpose no accolade could match.

Raising a child is not a pause from purpose. It is purpose. It’s not a break from one’s calling. It’s one of the highest callings there is.

Here’s the truth: God gives us many gifts to steward, our minds, our ambition, our calling to work — but also our homes, our children, our marriages, and the souls entrusted to our care. The world rarely celebrates that kind of success, but Heaven does.

Stewardship means seeing your life not as a ladder to climb, but as a garden to tend. It means asking what fruit you’re meant to bear in this exact season, not ten seasons from now.

I started college at 13. Launched my first company at 17. Helped to build one of the largest independent outdoor billboard businesses in the country. And at 24, I became one of the youngest women ever elected to the Ohio Legislature. I know what it feels like to push, to lead, to win. I’ve stood on stages, passed laws, and grown a multi-million dollar business from the ground up.

And yet, somewhere along the climb, a deeper question began to form in my heart — not “what can I do?” or “what doors can I kick down?” but “what should I do with the time, talents, and season the Lord has given me right now?”

Success isn’t abandoning your gifts. It’s using them with wisdom. Staying sharp. Staying ready. Staying rooted. Because seasons do change. But that doesn’t mean the fire is gone. I’m still dreaming. I’m still building. I still have projects I’m pouring into.

The stage may come again. The doors may reopen. But for now, these things take their place behind the most important work I’ve ever been given: shaping a soul, creating a home, and loving intentionally. 

Some of the most meaningful victories aren’t won in boardrooms or ballots, but in nurseries and kitchens, in nighttime prayers and morning cuddles. It’s the quiet, hidden kind of work the world doesn’t always see, and the kind that matters most.

This season, this work, this calling — it’s not small. It’s sacred.

Bio: Former State Representative Jena Powell served three terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, founded the first-ever Pro-Life Caucus in the Ohio Legislature, and played a pivotal role in advancing landmark pro-life legislation, including her advocacy for the Heartbeat Bill and other measures protecting the unborn. She successfully led the passage of the Save Women’s Sports Act, fought for tax reform to relieve burdens on small businesses, and championed economic development efforts that empowered entrepreneurs and families across Ohio. She currently co-owns Huntington Outdoor, a multi-state outdoor advertising company, and lives in Ohio with her husband Dan and their young son.

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