One Beautiful Life

Encouraged at (in)courage

I was driving down the road two days ago, thinking about all the things left to do in the day.  It became clear, something was going to have to go.  Wait.  Who am I kidding?  LOL  Several things were going to have to go!

Do you ever do this?  Think about things that await on your "to do list" and decide what HAS to be accomplished and what can be penciled in for the next day?  Thinking about what I have to do on a daily basis can leave me feeling overwhelmed.  Like today, for example... I have to make dentist appointments for two of my chillies (kids), call the church and RSVP for church dinner that is TONIGHT, do at least two loads of laundry, clean the kitchen from morning madness, get a work out accomplished, have quiet time, shower (big event around here), pick up three chillies from school at three different times, get my post published, help with homework, "play school" with my middle daughter, reply to an important email, have 30 minute "pick up" party here in the house, attend church dinner/meeting, and other little odds and ends that arise in the moment.   

I forgot to mention watching soap operas and eating bon-bons.  Wait.  I don't do that!  Praise the Lord!

So as I was trying to think what I could slide to tomorrow (which was yesterday) I realized something.  I LOVE ah-ha moments.  God moments.  The reason it overwhelms me is because I have this IDEA that it ALL has to get done for the day to be a good day.  I realized that my IDEA of a good day was one where I got all my "to do's" DONE.  I WAS SETTING MYSELF UP FOR A BAD DAY WITH THE IDEA OF A GOOD DAY!

Does that make sense or did I lose you?

Then I was flooded with thoughts of peace.  I don't HAVE to get everything done for this to be a good day.  Not getting everything done DOES NOT mean I failed.  Not getting everything done DOES NOT mean I am a bad wife, bad home domestic goddess, bad mother, or failure as a whole!  And I smiled... inside.  I LOVE inside smiles.

I do not have to be perfect... or even better... I DO NOT HAVE TO BE MY IDEA OF PERFECT.

I do not have to have perfect time management.  I do not have to have perfect responses to my children's not so great moments.  I do not have to have the perfectly in order house.  I do not have to have perfect hair.  I do not have to have the perfect body.  I do not have to have perfect children making perfect choices with perfectly clean rooms.  I do not have to have the perfect husband.  I do not have to have the perfect faith walk!

I just about wrecked the car.  I felt such release.  Really?  It seems so simple.  Too simple.  But there it was... a releasing of MY IDEA OF NEEDED PERFECTION... MY IDEA OF GOOD... MY IDEA OF PLEASING... MY IDEA OF LIFE.

Sweet friend, I pray this is an encouragement to you.  I am so humbled when I feel God shows me something and I get to share it to encourage others.  The emails, comments, facebook messages, tweets, and conversations I am having with you echo what has pecked me to death like a wood pecker sitting on my head... I am not good enough... I am not enough.

If that is all we listen to... if that is all we hear... then we will be pecked down so deeply into the mud that it will take a crane to lift us free enough to even breath!

We are NOT enough.  WE ARE NOT.  BUT HE IS!  As believers, JESUS CHRIST LIVES INSIDE US!  There is the joy.  There is the peace.  There is the freedom.  There is the gift.  There is the release.  There is the love.  There is the way.  THERE IS THE LIFE!  HE is perfect and we are not!  WE ARE IMPERFECTLY PERFECT!

When we hear, "You are not enough," we answer it with, "But greater is He who lives in me than he who is in the world!"  When we hear, "You are not enough," we answer it with, "BUT HE IS!" 

And THAT is enough.  And THAT is what matters.  All the rest fades away in comparison to THAT!

I have met a wonderful group of women through my attending the Allume conference.  Imperfect women who love the LORD with perfect passion.  And they encourage me.  They encourage me to embrace my imperfectness with grace and joy.  

There is a wonderful place you can go to meet many of these women... right where you are.

 (in)courage is a place where women come and share their hearts, their trials, their ah-ha moments, their joys and sorrows, and their testimonies.  You can check it out HERE.  You WILL be blessed.

I pray you are blessed today.  Find comfort and hope in knowing you are not alone!  You are dearly loved and sought after... just the way you are. :0)

Much love, Dawn~