I had a nice, long visit with my 36 year old divorced, childless friend the other day as she colored my hair. (That's right, I've started coloring my hair. I have a pill organizer and I color my hair. Laugh if you must.) We enjoyed talking about parenting for the next hour and she talked of her wise parents and the successes they had in raising their close knit family of 10.
"But" she said, "we all HATED Sundays! They were miserable!"
Apparently her mom always came home from church miserable.
Miserable that their family scripture study didn't measure up.
Miserable that their family prayers didn't measure up.
Miserable that their family rules didn't measure up . . .
"Look at us. We're turning out fine!" her daughter would say over and over.
They turned out more than fine.
There are days I fall into the same, self destructive, trap:
Why aren't my children studying the scriptures like the so and so's?
Why don't my kids bear their testimonies each month like the what's their buckets?
Why aren't we always on time like Bro. and Sis. Prompt?
Why didn't I think to take a meal to Sis. Totally Struggling?
Why doesn't my husband give birthday gifts to everyone in his home teaching families like Bro. Organized?
Guess what.
God could feel the same way about us.
But he doesn't.
He knows us intimately
which means he knows we're doing great . . . for us.
If I'm truly going to be a follower of Christ
then I need to remember
that my husband is enough,
my children are enough
and I am enough.
Renaming it "Celebration Sunday"
Thank you for the kind note, dear friend, on a day I so needed it. Your timing was spot on! One of my children asked how you and I became such good friends. I don't remember the "becoming." It seems it's just always been.
4 comments:
I guess i can let go of my nagging question,
"Why can't my blog be as good as Jod's?"
Thanks for reminding me mine is good enough. . .ha ha
A Mother Teresa quote I saw on Facebook comes to mind: "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." Turning it around a bit, if you compare/judge *yourself* against other people, you will invariably sell yourself short and spend too much time beating yourself up. Or, as President Uchtdorf has said, "Never give up on anyone...and that includes yourself." You are all enough!-Timo
GRACE...aren't we blessed?
Okay, I can add one: why am I not as good a missionary as the 'we were so sorry to see them go!'s? I just have to remember the MTC admonition: "don't be so hard on yourself that The Lord can't use you."
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