Comparison kills!

My mom makes me strong! 

How often do we as moms feel that we do that for our children?

We get so good at trashing our self and tearing ourselves apart because we can't be the Pinterest mom that does this:

Or maybe that is just me that feels less because I don't do this?  Guess what?  I can't do this either:

 

 



 

 

There are a LOT of things I can not do in this life.  Some I really want to do and others, well, my inability doesn't bother me at all.  I could run through an entire list of things I don't do well and give you reasons why I believe it. 

But I'm finally learning to say NO! to that type of thinking.  Who says I have to focus so much on shoring up my weaknesses?  Who says I can only focus on what I can't do?  Yes, working on weaknesses can be good, can be necessary, but what we can't do, does NOT define us.  I'm weary of being told constantly what it is that is wrong about me according to the small few who dictate what is ok or not in our society.  I may never fly to the moon, pose on the cover of Vogue or sing songs so well I record a platinum record and that is ok.  I have a list of things I can do and so do you!

I can teach my children about God and his love.
I can encourage and lift up my husband.
I can keep 4 kids and a husband alive.  (I have a pretty impressive 9 year record there!  GO ME!)
I can talk.
I can write.
I can laugh.  I can make other people laugh!
I can read and pass on the love of reading to my children.
I can cook.
I can organize.
I can play sports and pretty well at that.
I can play games on a rainy Saturday with my kids.
I can plan family date nights and scavenger hunts.
I can make friends and keep in touch with the golden oldies I have...
I can use my every breath to love, encourage and inspire others.

I can't do any of this on my own power though.  God gave me all of these abilities because it pleases him for me to use them.  I don't always use them properly, I don't always think of them as gifts or abilities.  Sometimes, I just don't want to do anything for anyone else.  I want to do only what I want.  Then I sigh REALLY loud, suck it up and realize parenting is all about sacrifice.  But the joy from that sacrifice is without compare! 

So I am vowing to stop comparing myself to other moms.  The thing about comparison is, we are comparing our BLOOPER reel to their highlight reel.  And the mom we wish we more like is probably beating herself up because she can't do XYZ either.  So let's start encouraging each other because the one thing we all want to teach our children is how to love. 

God loves us, He created us because we please Him exactly as we are, not as we should be.
"Worthy, O Master! Yes, our God!
Take the glory! the honor! the power!
You created it all;
It was created because you wanted it." Rev 4:11 The Message

He WANTED us, so he created us.  Wow.  We are exactly right.  God created us for his pleasure.  We please him by simply being us. 

And even after I throw myself under the bus, cry in the bathroom, feel inadequate, wish I could take back those harsh words I just spoke to my sweet 7 year old daughter, I'll remember that Tessa (my five year old) said: 

"My mom makes me strong!"