"I praise you because I am
fearfully and wonderfully made: your works are wonderful, I know that full
well." Psalm 139:14
One unexpected blessing I've benefited from as a result of
blogging is the heart-sharing emails and Facebook messages I've received. I cherish and save each one! Time and time again, I'm struck with a common
thought....we are all so much more alike than we realize. As women, we have the same worries,
insecurities, doubts, fears and struggles.
I often want to pass along the wisdom shared with me through these
messages so we can all benefit. While I
would never betray the trust of those who have opened their lives to me, I have
compiled a list of what I have learned.
I wish I could write these in the hearts of every woman (including
myself) because I think life would be so much easier if we all lived like we
knew them. And honestly, I think we know
them somewhere in the back of our minds, but often that knowledge gets buried
beneath the rubble of lies the enemy bombards us with on a daily basis.
Here goes:
#1 The prettiest, skinniest, most well-dressed,
silky-haired, perfectly made-up woman in your town has insecurities about her
appearance.
#2 None of us married
a perfect Prince Charming. I hope and
pray that we never make a habit of talking negatively about our husbands but remember:
just because people choose to focus on the
romantic, thoughtful and good daddy moments doesn't mean their husbands don't
do things worthy of a good thump to the ear every once in a while. Even Prince Charming started out as a frog,
mind you!
#3 The most well-organized, calendar yielding woman in the
universe has forgotten a piano lesson, lunch date or school snack...and the
world kept spinning!
#4 The strongest, most devoted Christian woman you can think
of still struggles, still has issues she's yet to overcome and still fights
doubt and fear daily. A couple of years
ago, I was able to attend a Beth Moore conference with a wonderful group of
women from our church. Of all the truths
shared that weekend, what has stuck with me most is the fact that beautiful,
well-loved, famous, deep in the Word, Beth Moore shared that she struggles with
insecurities so deep that if she wasn't able to turn them over to God in prayer,
it would be impossible for her to even walk out on stage.
#5 Every good mama feels like a horrible mama
sometimes. Maybe your 3 year old pitched
an Oscar-worthy fit in front of a gawking crowd at Publix (again), your
precious little girl was "mean" to a friend at recess and of course
you got a phone call, or your teenager made a horrible choice you somehow
blame yourself for. Or maybe in a moment
of weakness, you say (or shout) something you're sure your children will never
get over. Believe me, it happens to all
of us.
#6 Even Martha
Stewart has a cobweb behind her bed and if she had little ones, you'd better
believe there would be a random french-fry or nugget under the seat of her
mini-van. Your kids will never remember you once went three weeks without dusting
but they will never forget all the time you spent playing with them instead of
dusting!
#7 Everyone is
disliked by someone. I am not good at
being disliked and have made myself near crazy trying to earn the approval of
someone that I didn't even like to begin with.
Shhhh, don't tell anyone I said that!
#8 It will all be okay!
Maybe not today, but it will be.
God says so!
I'm thankful for each of you, my beautiful sisters!
