How to lose your life...

I, as a homemaker, have frequently pondered the struggle for many women to reconcile being at home. We feel that we have gifts that must be used, avenues of life that need to be explored, and often feel left out with our "lot in life". We feel that the rest of the world is out there being fulfilled while we are home wiping bottoms and noses, and cleaning up everything from spilled orange juice to poop to fill-in-the-blank! However, doesn't the Scripture tell us that those who strive after their own lives really lose them? And those that are willing to "lose" their lives for Christ's sake really find it? I think when people read that verse they immediately think that "losing their lives for Christ's sake" means being martyred as a missionary, or serving full-time as some sort of evangelist--some direct and public means of service. But I think this verse means any task or responsibility or life station that seems burdensome to us or difficult. Any of these things that we in our natural selves don't want to do. Are we willing to put aside our ambitions for ourselves--quite literally lose ourselves--for Christ's sake serving someone else?? Serving babies and small children who can't (for awhile) return any love or appreciation back? And yet if we are willing to submit to the Lord's will and take one day at a time and praise Him through those times, I think our burdens will become "light" as the Bible says!! That serving at home as a home manager, a helpmeet to my husband, a mother and teacher to my children, though no one else may see, I need to remember that God sees and the "good deeds" that I do in secret, that no one knows about, my Heavenly Father has not forgotten my faithfulness when no one was looking. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to sound puffed up with acts of righteousness, just trying to keep perspective on the season of life that I am in, and how it is just noble as any other work--perhaps even more.