Comparison

At my Mops meeting this morning my table got off on a little tangent, talking about comparing ourselves to others. And I got to thinking about how much I (we) do that. The simple act of scrolling through Facebook can make me feel like I need to LOOK like someone else, my KIDS should be like theirs, and I should be DOING more.

We are all created differently. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. So why do we try so hard to be like other people? One friend of mine shared how exhausting it can be to try and be social and outgoing, when God has created her to be more of an introvert. I can relate! It is really tiring and frustrating to pretend to be something you are not.

I sometimes find myself asking Adam why we can't seem to do things I see other families doing. Maybe that means lots of extracurricular activities, vacations, or color-coordinated outfits. And he reminds me that that is their family, and this is ours. We know what works best for our family. We all operate at different speeds, and we all have our struggles that affect what and how much we can handle. I may be good at planning and cooking healthy meals, and it brings me great joy. But for someone else, it may feel overwhelming and draining. Should they look at my blog post and beat themselves up for not enjoying cooking like I do? Nope. We aren't wired the same. I can assure you they have their own unique talents God has blessed them with that I am lacking.

So I guess I'm trying to encourage someone today to confidently be themselves. Be who God created you to be. Stop comparing yourself to others. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Rest in that.