Contentment in Our Smallness

Hey everyone!

Still experiencing some technical difficulty as mentioned in previous post. Truth? The difficulty is that we reorganized our living room, which involved unplugging the … everything. Computer, TV etc. And my husband has been too busy to put much of anything back together. That’s what happens in Summer (well, life really).

You get too busy. For anything. Between work, house repairs, car repairs, doctors appointments, dentist appointments, and, oh yeah, he’s taking college courses (I’m writing this on the laptop he uses for his coursework, which has none of my pictures on it)…we usually fall into bed sometime around 11pm having accomplished MAYBE 25% of what we planned for that day.

But, that’s okay. We’re getting done exactly what God wanted us to get done. I recently read a post from Amongst Lovely Things titled, “I Am Not an Airplane.” And it totally resonated with me.

I am not an airplane.

The sky is not the limit.

The sky is beyond my limit.

I am finite; my time is finite.

The ground is where God has planted me. Firmly.

Quite beneath the limit of the sky.

The smallness of my limit is real, and it’s humbling.

I read this morning during my morning Bible time:

1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”

There’s the list of things I’d like to get done, things I’d like to cook, clean or organize, skills that I’d like to learn, hobbies I’d like to spend more time on, ministries I’d like to be a part of, books I’d like to read my children.

Then there’s the list of things I’m actually capable of accomplishing in any given 24 hour period between nursing sessions, showers/baths, diaper changes, meals.

And that list is usually significantly smaller than I’d like it to be…because I am a creature who loves to check off a good to-do list. I like the DOING. Sometimes I even try to do multiple things at once, which usually results in nothing being done well. That’s pride. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians that (my own summary) whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, do it for the Glory of God.

When I make the decision to try to go for quantity vs quality in the things the Lord has set on my path for me to do, I’m letting my pride get in the way of my calling. Again.

I am succumbing to the temptation to be a super mom that can do it all…or at least to try. Because it feels good to get things done, lots of things, all the Pinterest-y things. It makes us feel like we’ve got it together, like we’re strong and capable and talented.

And bit by bit, we forget our smallness, our weakness, our frailness. Our need for a Good and Faithful Creator. Our need to be saved.

Ladies, we are strong and capable and talanted. We are. You are! YOU ARE INCREDIBLE. But it’s not because of our strength, abilities, or wisdom.  The moment we forget that, it’s a slippery slope. And there’s nothing good waiting for us at the bottom. Because we will crash. We always do. All of us experience highs and lows even when we are trying to glorify and serve God rather than our own emotions and pride.

But when you have the resurrected Christ placed firmly at the forefront of your life, you can continue your walk even when you stumble. Keep your eyes on Him, and you don’t have to be overwhelmed by all that you did not accomplish today, or afraid of the struggles that come (and come they will!). Just keep walking on your path, on the ground chosen for you. Not with one foot on the path and the other trying to reach for that mythical limit in the sky. No, firmly on your own ground. And don’t take your eyes off Him. Not for a moment.

That’s where peace comes from.

That’s the place where you find contentment. Not just in what’s been given to you in terms of materialistic things. But contentment in your smallness. Contentment in your inability to be super mom (or super-anything).

…and on that note, I just realized that it’s after 5pm and I haven’t started dinner yet. And the toddler is pitching the fit of a lifetime over whoknowswhatthistime.

::Sigh::

Eyes on you, Lord.

(P.S. I’ll do my best to get a Frugal Fridays up today or tomorrow. This was actually supposed to be a FF, but when I sat down to write, I had other things on my heart to share. I hope it is an encouragement to you!)

All pictures in this post are from the fantastic website www.thegraphicsfairy.com .

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