not alone

I was listening to a talk radio show today with Chris Brooks with guest Ann Voskamp. A mom called in and spoke of her anxiety and depression. Her feelings of failure, especially as a mother. 

I couldn't help but think of how many other mothers are out there feeling some or all of these same feelings. Mothers that are silent but feeling so much pain. So much brokenness. So often when we are feeling broken we go inward. We don't share. We keep things to ourselves. We retreat. But if we can find one other person who relates and understands what we are feeling. There can be "healing, shalom, and abundance" Ann's thoughts on this were so profound.

She said, "when two people are really vulnerable about their brokenness and take off their masks, then we unmask Christ and all the power of Christ. ".

I just wanted to share this here. Because none of us are alone. At some point in our lives we will all face brokenness . If we can really embrace the beauty that can come out of it and realize that we aren't alone. And that we can bless others so much by opening ourselves. I think we will all gain so much. We will all feel a great freedom.

today

"You fall, you rise, you make mistakes, you live, you learn. You're human, not perfect. You've been hurt, but you're alive. Think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive to breathe, to think, to enjoy, and to be with people you love. Sometimes there is sadness in our journey, but there is also lots of beauty. We must keep putting one foot in front of the other even when we hurt, for we will never know what is waiting for us just around the bend."
-unknown

I've been thinking a lot lately about how everything in a year can change so much. And then the reality hit me how our lives can become drastically different in one day. In one moment. A phone call, a life changing event. A blessing, A heartache. So much can change in an instant. More and more I am profoundly aware of how precious each day is. We need to make the most of every moment we are given. We need to soak it in.

letting go of comparison

So many thoughts raced through my mind as I watched her play in the sprinkler with her little sister. She is almost 11. This time is filled with so much change and transformation; both physically and emotionally. I think back to this time in my own life. I remember how often I compared myself with others. So much of me, wants to free her from the comparison thief that steals so much joy; yet, at almost 40, comparison still creeps into my life.

Tonight, I shared a few hours with six young ladies as we studied Jennie Allen’s Restless book. We were discussing the unique gifts God gives each of us and why so many people aren't using their gifts. Many people never use their gifts or quit using them because they are so tired of comparison. We ALL must stop doing this. God gave us each our own “marked race and equipped us to run it.”

We shared our own personal stories of comparison. Each story shared was filled with such emotion as we opened up raw places in our hearts.My wish for these young women, for all women, would be to free ourselves from comparison. I believe so many of us hold back support, love, and truth, because we spend time comparing and are too focused inwardly. Instead of giving our friends, our sisters, our mothers the encouragement or affirmation they may need, we hold back because of our own feelings of inadequacy. We need to believe in the gifts we have been given and appreciate the gifts we see in others.

Each one of us can look to our left or right and see someone doing something better or different than us. At some point, I am sure we have all done this. BUT, we each need to recognize our unique gifts and find a way to use them for the glory of God.