Perfect ..I am not

Part of living a life of less stress, is letting go of the things that are not in our control. These days I have to practice this on a very regular basis ..because this is where I am right now:

Having just had a baby 5 weeks ago, my third boy. I have two other very busy boys (3 and 5).  I am a married woman.. all of those people wear clothes and eat.

I have a home with three bedrooms, a playroom, a living room, a kitchen and three bathrooms ..all those rooms have floors, all those bathrooms have toilets that are used regularly, and all of them collect dust.

I homeschool my kids ...which means I have to teach them all something

We have busy lives..so I have to go places with all those aforementioned people.

We love our church family..so we have classes, events, potlucks, picnics and church services

I am a sister and daughter ..so my mind and heart is often full with family who is far away

I have wonderful friends ...and so we have playdates, phone calls and the occasional moms night out

I love to write..and so get to give time to doing so

I am a christian mom, wife, daughter, sister and friend ...so I must take time to ponder, pray, read and study


So, I dont have the time or the energy to be perfect.


So, yes ... there are half-eaten english muffins on my dryer ...

and fingerprints on my walls ...

and there are ice cream cones on the shelf ...

and my mini-van is a mess ...

and paint brushes that were attempted to be cleaned sitting on the sink in the guest bathroom ...

...my bathrooms are less than stellar

...I dont iron

...and I couldnt tell you the last time I made my bed


Somedays, my resources do not allow for attention to those areas. Hopefully soon they will, but for today I have to be okay with my imperfectness.

Its not easy, because I am constantly comparing myself, my home, my time, my talents and my resources with the me I wish I was.  But for today, O Lord, let me be okay with being everything you need me to be and less focused on the things that are just part of the wonderful life of chaos I have right now.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."  

2 Corinthians 12:9

Mind Control: Perfectionism

I dont know you, necessarily ..but I would guess that I would right to say that, like me..you may struggle with perfectionism at times.

Now, am not a perfectionist. Everything I do doesnt have to be perfect ..I am okay if my house is less than stellar all the time, I dont mind a wrinkle or a stain on the kids clothes, my projects dont have to be without mistakes. I am not a perfectionist.

I do, however, struggle with perfectionism.

That is, if I dont like it when I cant do something all the way, or to the degree that things are just the way that I want to do them, I dont want to do it :) Or, I mentally determine that something isnt worth doing if I have already failed to be able to do that thing, perfectly.

For example, I often talk myself out of drinking the water I need to today, because the day is half over and I havent even started on my 8 glasses. Or, if I dont have time to fold and put away the laundry right now, then I will put it off until I do. Or, if I cant start, work on, and finish cleaning out the closet all today ..then why start?

I know I am not alone in this one :)

I am learning, a little at a time, that my need to complete those things all at once and to the standard that I really want ..may be unrealistic considering my resources at the moment. It may be unrealistic for me to think that any time in the next three years will I have the time it takes to start, work on and finish the garage. But, I may have an hour today, and a couple of other days this week.

I may not have the time to fold and put away the laundry right now, but how bout just folding ..that is one part down, then only one to go next time I have a free minute. I may have not had a sip of water all day, but I can still get 3 in before I head to bed and that is better than none all day.

When I started really paying attention to how I often I let this thought process keep me from doing what needs doing, I realized I do it alot!

There is another one I use alot ...I am already 5 months behind in reading my bible every day this year, so why start now? I have missed every other week of the bible study at church up to this point, and I dont want to jump in midway! I have already busted my chances of getting three workouts in this week, so I will just try again next week! :)

We need to make sure that our need for perfection doesnt keep us from doing what we need to do right now, and learn to be okay with doing things less than perfectly. Sometimes, part way is better than not at all, and doing a little here and little there will eventually get you to your goal.

Remember, that God never called us to be perfect. He is glorified in our unperfectness, in fact.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
2 Corithians 12:9

Doesnt that take some of the pressure off? :)