Letter to Myself

Dear Self,

I know you mean well, but the high expectations you constantly place on me unintentionally make life seem impossible. It's daunting enough just trying to stay on top of things, but why do you make me feel like I'm always supposed to be doing more?

More crafts. More exercise. More cleaning. More home-cooked meals. More one-on-one time with my children.  More Bible time. More organization. More. More. More.

And, it's never enough.

I'm not skinny enough. Healthy enough. I don't clean enough. I'm not creative enough. Pretty enough. Fashionable enough. Spiritual enough. Disciplined enough. Nice enough. Fun enough. Hospitable enough. Smart enough. Thankful enough.

So, I try so hard to be better.

Better at saving money. Better with my time. Better at slowing down. Better at speeding up. Better at being a wife. Being a better friend. Better at household management. Being a better parent.

And just when I think I'm doing better, someone else comes along who's doing more, and again, I'm back to feeling like I'm not enough.

Why can't I just ever be enough?


Sincerely Exhausted,

 Me

Have you ever felt like you could have written the above letter? Maybe it's just me, but we all have times as women where we struggle with just feeling like we are simply enough. That we are loved and appreciated just as we are.

 There's a movie I saw years ago called, "Forces of Nature", with Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock. In one scene, they are dancing, and Sandra starts giving Ben marriage advice, since he is headed to his wedding. One line has stuck with me after all of these years. She says to him, "No matter what annoying habits she has, just realize that she's dealing with a huge mountain of imperfections every day. So you might just want to let it go."

I loved that line! As women, we set such high expectations on ourselves and struggle with what to do when we can't live up to them.

News Flash: 

Your imperfections do not define who you are. 

They have made you who you are. 

You're enough because God made you and loves you just as you are.

You don't have to be better  or try harder for His love.

He loves you more than you ever thought possible.                           

Enough actually is enough.

Trying to be better is fine, but do it in the understanding that you are already enough. 

You are worth way more than you give yourself credit for. 

You really are. 

Sincerely,