Thursday, April 12, 2012

Who Says?!

I am in a rebellious mood these last few weeks - really, it been a bit longer than that but I think it was more subconscious until about then.

Really, rebellion could characterize the journey of having "Everything You Need" and "Living Peacefully Less Stressed" in a nutshell. 

I am feeling quite rebellious against what the world tells me I need to be/do. I am feeling resistant to my culture and society ..the one that tells me how I am supposed to look, how my kids are supposed to act, how I should spend my time, how much money I should save, how clean how my house should be, how my marriage should look, what I should eat and how creative I should be.

I am feeling a bit frustrated with the degree of weight that I feel the world around me places on me and my girls. "My girls" being all of us who strive to be all that we know we want to be, and even more so what God wants us to be.

I find myself in a most disrespectful banter with the "world" when I feel challenged that my kids should fit the mold of the 5:30am - 5:30pm lifestyles of the "typical" school age child, or when I feel like I am less than perfect because I haven't fit into a size 10 since college. I feel like we are just slammed with so many different "must do's" from the world around us ..and I feel downright irritated by it.

I want to just throw up my hands and say "WHO SAYS?!"

Who says ...that my house has to be presentable at all times?
Who says ...that my laundry has to be caught up every day ...or that we couldn't minimize it by letting every kid have 5 shirts and 3 pairs of shorts ONLY!
Who says ...that I or my kids have to a have 52 different church outfits so we are wearing something different each week?
Who says ...that I have to be running myself ragged from morning til night, dragging my kids behind me?
Who says ...that my kids have to be involved in every extracurricular activity I can find for them to do?
Who says ...that I have to wear a size less-than-12?
Who says  ...that my toenails have to be perfectly manicured all summer?
Who says ...that my clothes have to be from somewhere other than Walmart (or Old Navy ...either one).
Who says  ...that I HAVE to coupon to manage my pennies well?
Who says  ...that I have drive a car that matches everyone else?
Who says ...that I have to have a house that is perfectly decorated OR that it has to have a certain number of square feet?
Who says...that I have to have an updated blog at all times?
Who says ..that I have to compare myself to any of those chics on Pinterest? ..or better yet, have the creativity to do any of the stuff on there?!

If God didnt say it, then He doesnt ask it of you. He doesnt ask it of us.

I am convinced that if we were to simply get rid of the stressful things that GOD didnt ask of us, we would be living much more peacefully.

This world is unfair in its expectations. There is not a girl in the world who can meet them. Trust me.

I think as God's gals we need to be more rebellious ...we need to ask ourselves "Who says?!" ...and if God didn't demand it of us then we can let it go.

Pin that on your board :P

{Disclaimer ..I am NOT a Pinterest hater. I admit though that i have to limit myself lest I start heading down a spiral of "not good enough" feelings ...anyone else? No? I just the only one then? ...hmm.}

7 comments:

  1. "Pin that on your board...." lol

    I feel ya, it's a ridiculous line we walk isn't it...especially as mom bloggers?!

    I think "if God didn't demand it of me, I can let it go" is going to be my mantra until I get it through my thick skull. :-)

    Thanks for a post that blessed me much today!

    Danielle
    organizationalhysteria.com

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    1. Thanks so much for your comment..it blessed me today. Now, I am going to check out your blog because just the name of it makes me giddy ;)

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  2. I have seen a few blog posts this week about this subject. Personally, I love pinterest. It inspires me. Several fellow Mom's label me because I try new recipes, try to sew/ craft things for my children. . . But they don't see the dust in my house, the stained carpet or dirty tub that needs a good scrubbing. I don't try to be perfect, or even try to pretend it. . . I think that's where the problem starts. What's the saying " comparison is a thief of joy" I wish we lived in a world where all Mom's regardless if they work in or outside of the home, uplifted and encouraged one another instead of spending so much time comparing.

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    Replies
    1. I totally agree! I think comparisons can be such a discouragement to our fellow sisters ..who wants to make their friends feel BAD about themselves because they cant do all the things you are gifted at?

      I think Pinterest is great - I struggle with wanting to do ALL of it and then feeling frustrated that I just can't :) Really, the point wasnt a say anything negative about Pinterest ..but rather just a rebellion against everything that we feel the world pressures us to do and be.

      If we let it, we can get that pressure from a lot of places - but NOT allowing that to happen starts with us and our acceptance of being where God has us today.

      Thanks so much for your comment!

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  3. Oh, Courtney, I loved this, and I am right there with you... some days trying way too hard to fit into the mold that everyone else seems to scream for me to fit into, but you are right... it's about what God says!
    Blessings,
    Jessica

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  4. Good one! You cracked me up with "pin that on your board." :D

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  5. Thank you so much for this! Just what i needed when you posted.

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