I'm A Mess...A Beautiful Mess

"My dream? My dream of what I wanted to be when I grew up? It was this. A stay-at-home mom. I am living my dream. So, why do I feel so unhappy?"

"I can't get in front of it. No matter how much I give or how much I do, I'm just, I'm not enough."
"Not enough, for whom?"
"I don't know. I guess my husband, my kids, my friends, God."
"For you. You're not enough for you. I don't know why all you women beat yourselves up so much! I doubt that the Good Lord made a mistake giving your kiddos the mom He did. It's beautiful to watch one of God's creations just doing what it was made to do."

"My life needs to change for me to be happy. FALSE. My life hasn't changed at all--I have."

These were my favorite quotes from the movie, "Moms' Night Out" that I saw this past weekend. This movie is a must-see! It's a stellar movie that will make you laugh until you cry, cry until you cry harder, and cause some serious heart & soul reflection.

It's no coincidence that last week I also began reading Ann Voskamp's book, "One Thousand Gifts." This paragraph on page 27 struck me: "These mornings, I wake to the discontent of life in my skin. I wake to self-hatred. To the wrestle to get it all done, the relentless anxiety that I'm failing. Always, the failing. I yell at children, fester with bitterness, forget doctor appointments, lose library books, live selfishly, skip prayer, complain, go to bed too late, neglect cleaning the toilets. I live tired. Afraid. Anxious. Weary. I feel it in the veins, the pulsing of ruptured hopes. Would I ever be enough, find enough, do enough?"

Ann goes on to write how true joy and contentment in life comes with thanksgiving. Being thankful for ALL THINGS in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

Oh my. Sounds so hard to do. But my heart aches for that joy. I want to be content. I want to find joy a midst the chaos of my home. I want to rejoice at the crumbs littering my floor. I want to be thankful for the dirty hand prints on my windows. I want the endless laundry to bring me happiness. I want the noise of my children to bring me laughter.

Women, let's stop beating ourselves up. Satan wants us to focus on our failures and shortcomings because he knows it will paralyze us from accomplishing our purpose. Yes, we may be a mess, but we're a beautiful mess in the eyes of our Master. We are but a lump of clay in the potter's hands. May He mold us into the image and purpose He designs us to be. 

Let's strive to be content and thankful; even in our most challenging days. Our lives don't need to change in order for us to be happy--we do. Let God in to make some heart and mind changes.We ARE enough! We are God's masterpieces...and that makes us ENOUGH. 

And if at first you don't succeed...eat a cupcake...and try, try again!