I don't know if I'm the only one that feels this way, but I often find myself feeling like I am not enough because I'm not a work at home, stay at home, homeschooling, mompreneur. I admire the women who create beauty with their hands, who have successful blogs, who run amazing coaching businesses, etc. Props to those who are, this isn't to say anything negative about them, and quite honestly, the irony is, I am dipping my feet in the water that may turn me into one.
But, I struggle with the fact that being a stay at home mom no longer feels like enough in our society. I love being a stay at home mom. I love homeschooling my kids. I love playing a supporting role to my husband. But, I also have this strong need for adventure, to make my mark in this world, and to create something. (Being someone who couldn't pinpoint my strengths and talents for years, I am still in the process of trying things on to see what my sweet spot is) A little bit about me: I need a ton of margin in my life in order to be able to even function. I am a follower. I am laid back. I love going with the flow and just enjoying life. There really isn't a great point to this paragraph, other than to let you know, you don't have to be type A or incredibly driven to make an impact and be successful in your calling. That just needs to be said. As with all of life there are seasons, and for about 10 years I was in a season where I felt like I had nothing to offer and where I felt like I wasn't enough. In hindsight, I would tell my younger self, your time will come, you have beautiful gifts and talents and they will bloom at exactly the right time. But, I didn't have the foresight to see that a season would come where I would have more margin. A season I could spend searching for my strengths, dreaming of what might be created through my life. I spent several years parked in that season. Learning, growing, seeking. Now that I have more margin and have spent significant time embracing my personality, owning the strengths and weaknesses that God has given me, I have slowly begun to create. Dreaming and creating is life-giving, inspiring, fear-filled, and an adventure. I love having this awakened in me, but I see now that God's timing was perfect. I would have asked to be one of the moms that created something while she had babies at home, but that wasn't for me. I had lessons to learn, growing to do, and I needed the extra margin to focus solely on my family. Any time you add something to your life, something is taken away, that trade off was too much for me. Are you struggling with feeling like enough in this never enough culture? Are you comparing yourselves to moms who appear to have their act together and are doing it all? Are you hungry to find your God given passions and desires? If so, here are a few steps to start with.
You are enough, right now, in this season. Being a mom is more than enough. You have talents. You have strengths. You have gifts. You can create. You may not know what this looks like now and this may not be the season for it, but it will come. So for now, start the journey… I would love to hear in the comments where you are at in your journey and how I can encourage you!
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AuthorHey, I'm Julie. I love books, coffee shops, traveling, and exploring. Homeschooling Mama to 4, wife of 15 years. Enjoying the journey and learning to add a bit more of summer into my everyday life. Archives
February 2017
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