As a blogger, I receive emails from readers asking things like:
How do you do it all?
I don’t. Seriously. I wish you could see my to list. Or even just my laundry baskets.
How do you keep your house clean?
That’s funny. It’s a mess most days. Cheerios can almost always be found on the floor. And dusting? That never happens.
How do you find time to cook?
I use the crock-pot more than the oven.
In short, I do NOT have it all together.
I struggle with the same things you do.
There’s never enough time in a day. I could always be a better wife, mother, friend.
I am just an average woman trying to make things work, one day at a time.
Some days go better than others and I complete the to do list, but more often, I fall short.
Very short.
It’s funny how people’s perceptions are often so different from reality.
Doesn’t it seem like everyone else has it all together?
It’s a lie.
No one does.
Today, prayerfully ask God to show you areas of your life that need more patience, what is worth sacrificing and how you can be happier. Also, ask Him to keep your heart fixed on the truth of His love and to not believe the lie that everyone else’s life is perfect.
I’m praying the same for my life. And the next time someone asks me about how I do it all, I’m going to laugh and say, “come on sister, I’m just like you. We can’t do it all, but we can remember that the Lord loves us and try to be patient with ourselves.”
By Jessica of The Mom Creative
ABOUT JESSICA TURNER
Jessica Turner blogs on The Mom Creative about motherhood,
{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
Great reminder!!
I used to say that you could come and eat off of my kitchen floor any day of the week….NOT that my floor was that clean… But you could usually scrape together enough food for a meal!
(ok, wasn’t THAT bad…)
Love this. It made me laugh– from personal experience, of course. Last week, I came up with a new strategy to get a little more help with the kitchen/dining floor…I’ve renamed our vacuum “the crumb monster” and the little ones have been jumping at the chance to sweep up the mess. Mom can’t do it all, so I’ve got to get creative to gather my team. Even if their work isn’t perfect, it’s progress.
I love this idea!
You made me smile, Marina. Not because of the image of your floor, but because mine is still that bad!
Wonderful reminder and so true. Thank you!
“Today, prayerfully ask God to show you areas of your life that need more patience, what is worth sacrificing and how you can be happier. Also, ask Him to keep your heart fixed on the truth of His love and to not believe the lie that everyone else’s life is perfect.”
That might just be my prayer everyday!
Thank you!
Thank you for this, today!
So many bloggers say they don’t have it all together or get it all done, all the while showing pictures of their perfect homes, spotless kitchens, smiling kids, organized closets…..we have to get real with each other ladies!! There is a blog I follow that is doing a clutter challenge, and her before closets are immaculate….it gets frustrating because you really do start to think something is wrong with you! Thanks for being open and honest, it’s refreshing :)
ha! My closets are FAR from perfect. I hear you.
Jessica–I love this post, and needed to read it this morning as I launch my less-than-perfect self into this new week. Blessings to you for offering encouragement to others, and to me.
Jess, I love that you make people your priority and choose to spend your time loving well. I’ve seen you in action and it makes a much bigger difference than dusting. :)
Thanks, friend
Forget Not:
1) to be patient with yourself.—That is hard for me. Patience is something I struggle with daily!
2) the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish one.
3) to be happy NOW.
4) the ‘why’ of the gospel.
5) that the Lord loves you.
Forget Not:
1) to be patient with yourself.—That is hard for me. Patience is something I struggle with daily!
2) the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish one.
3) to be happy NOW.- This too is hard for me at times. If life doesn’t seem to be moving in the direction I would like or think He would like then it’s hard to maintain happy!@
4) the ‘why’ of the gospel.
5) that the Lord loves you. Yes Yes Yes always remember this one!
Great post and thanks for being real with us!
I don’t believe in happy…I’m not even sure I know what it means anymore. I just hold on to faith…trust in the One who made us, and said that it was “good”.
Praying for you today
I really hate those questions about how I do it all because, umm, I don’t. Even though I blog and write about organization and homeschooling, I’m not altogether organized. Really. I printed out the saying to post on the wall beside my desk. I so need to be reminded of those things. Daily.
Stephanie, I feel your pain. That is why I so love The Nester. She is so honest about imperfection and is not afraid to show it. Jessica, thanks so much for your honesty. I’m glad people are opening about this.
These are wise words. No one is perfect, and we sometimes set up unrealistic expectations for ourselves. Dieter F. Uchtdorf is one of my most favorite speakers.
This came on such a perfect day! Thank you!! :-)
Thank you for this reminder, I needed to hear this today! I’ve been striving too hard for too long to get it all together and am always feeling so short. I know the truths of God loving me despite not having it all together or always feeling sooooo far behind, but it’s hard not to beat ourselves up when we walk into our friend’s spotless house, a coworker’s way-too-organized office, read every female Christian blog we can find and see pretty pictures, beautiful writing, and compare ourselves to what we can see in those places… and come away thinking they’re way better at life than I am. Not perfect mind you, but I know there are TONS of ladies better at all this than me, but I also know I am better at aspects of it than some. We can always help encourage each other and persevere through the craziness of life alongside each other instead of doing the comparison game constantly. I sooo appreciate this post today and that free printable image! Great reminders!!
Oh, it does my heart good to read this. Thank you! I am one of those small time bloggers who wonders how in the world others manage big blogs, families, etc. I can never keep up with my to do list. Thanks for sharing that you struggle with keeping up too. And you don’t dust? That makes me so happy! I don’t dust either. It’s just too hard and too tiring.
And the dust just comes back!!
I love that printable! Thank you!
Works for a LIST girl like me! ;)
Great reminder thanks so much.
I loved this post … it makes me feel … ‘more at home’ in that it’s okay to not have it all together! I don’t expect other people to be and yet I find I beat myself up when I don’t! Being self critical to this degree is awful … after reading your post, I feel more ‘okay’ about letting it go … its okay to not have a perfect looking home 24/7. Thank you for being real!
I’m humbled… yes, it is OKAY
It’s so good to read your post. Today I wrote about our sex life – another area where people think we have it all together but it takes work doens’t it? Tell me what you think about what I wrote http://kingsdaughters21.blogspot.com/2012/02/being-wife-who-enjoys-sex.html
What an encouragement! I love this. This has been on my heart too.
I wrote a post called How to be the Best Mom. But it’s really about surrender. Being yourself and letting God set your course. I’m not a super mom. I fail miserable almost daily. We can encourage each other in this. Thanks!
Yes, none of us are supermom, despite the illusion that everyone else has it together, right?
Thank you for the great words of encouragement. I just had a great idea, I’m going to print the quote and include in a card to friends, thanking them for their continued prayers.
I’m just wondering … am I the only one uncomfortable with quoting a Mormon leader here?
Hi there Carolyn,
As Jessica responded below, this was simply an oversight on our part. She removed the content and we will be more diligent about checking our sources in future. Thank you for caring enough to comment and for grace.
~Lisa-Jo
(in)courage community manager
@carolyn, I am also – I’m writing an email right now about this, to (in)courage. I love the heart of this writer, I love the heart of this site, but I am concerned by this.
I loved this quote for what it said and was unaware of the author’s background. You’re right that who is saying it is just as important. Thanks for the reminder to look deeper into that in the future. We have decided to remove the quote and printable.
Thank you for grace.
Thank you, Jessica and Lisa-Jo; that eases my mind so! I was troubled, as it opened questions about the nature of this community which I have come to enjoy and from which I have benefited considerably. I appreciate your gracious response. :)
@jessica – thanks for responding so quickly. i so appreciate your humility and your grace.
Candi had wonderful teachers, and with her faith she can do just about anything.
It seems like we are always pendulum swinging from one thing to another…one day comparing ourselves to others seeing our need and the next, building ourselves up to perfection in our own eyes…never staying there for long! God, for the comfort of childlikeness!
I think part of my struggle in this area is that a lot of people aren’t willing to be real about this. I want to find women who can happily admit that they struggle too and that it’s absolutely ok to not have it all together. We’re human. God didn’t make us perfect. It’s refreshing to let go of it.
Love this! I think we all spend too much time trying to keep up with other people and stress about what we are not doing that we actually stop doing what matters and that’s spending time and creating memories with our families & God! God will provide all we need in His time! I think if you find yourself too busy, you need to go through your priorities and also multitask when you can! I believe that God has provided you with just what you need at that moment, whatever it may be!
Thanks Jess for being so honest!
I’m confused about why the printable was removed. Please explain it to those of us who are Mormon. Thanks. :)
We hear your heart and are glad you feel comfortable asking. (in)courage is part of DaySpring and since as a company we serve such a wide variety of women, we choose not to be specific in certain ways. Our product attributes say, “The visuals and copy we develop today are to draw people to Jesus and not to a ‘specific belief system’ or ‘denomination.’” If you’d like to explore more about we believe, you can check out the Our Heart section above. Everyone is welcome here and we’re always open to comments from our community.
I felt the quote that was removed did just that, though.
Do you feel that reading a quote by Mother Teresa would make a person more drawn to the Catholic denomination? I have read at least one quote by her on this site…
So, can you see why I felt a bit singled out by the removal of a quote by a leader of my Church… a quote that did not seem to me to be at all religiously controversial or one that might draw people toward mormonism (are people so easily swayed?)?
I read many evangelical blogs because of the things we share in common – our belief in Christ first and foremost among them. I understand that evangelical Christians do not accept me as a Christian, and although that makes me sad (and I feel the opinion is misinformed) – I accept that and read on. In general, there is little Mormon bashing on such sites and when there is I move along…
The removal of the aforementioned quote feels more like bigotry than anything else. I am not trying to be harsh – that is just how it felt to me. You talk a lot on this site about grace and I certainly am not feeling that right now. :(
I understand that you have the right to remove material you feel is objectionable, but in reading through the comments leading up to its removal it just made me sad. Thank you for letting me share my feelings, but I will go to sites where I feel more Christlike love and tolerance.
John 13:35
-Whit
It’s a beautiful quote, that can only enrich a Christian’s outlook. It’s a shame we can’t can’t focus on the inspiration offered.
It seems rather narrow minded to believe that you can only quote those of your own faith.
(in)courage apparently equals (in)tolerant. Shame I spent so much money on Daysprings’ website over the holidays.