Written by our 3s Teacher, April Green
Most of you will probably not know that I used to be a perfectionist. Everything was in its place everyday or I would take the time to make sure it was there by the end of the day. No stacks of mail lying around, no clothes on the floor, and absolutely no dishes in the sink! No way, by the end of the day it was all in its place. And, no personal problems here! Or, so I told myself. That was me twenty years ago.
Today, I look around at mail scattered around from my desk to the kitchen counter, piles of clothes waving at me to be washed and more than a few cups soaking it up in the sink! And, personal problems? We all have them. The difference in me today is that I have allowed myself to feel the peace of God! It is freeing! Not that I will just continue to let things pile up, I will get to them at some point. BUT, I will also live my life to the fullest and enjoy my family right now!! As a mom and a preschool teacher I see so many of us, talking to myself here, trying to make things perfect but forgetting to live in the moment. And, the worry, the guilt, the never ending, all consuming feeling that we are not cutting it! Why are we so hard on ourselves? Oh, I know. It is so hard to feel like we are all together when we look on Facebook or Twitter only to see another mom who we think has it all together! Oh my, she has shared a picture of her perfectly organized junk drawers and she has also baked a nine layer “Frozen” cake for her daughter’s birthday. I start to slip a little and feel my heart beat fast in my chest!! I bought a flat, boring sheet cake from Sam’s for my daughter’s birthday (you know, the one with the edible “Frozen” picture that tastes like chemicals? Can children even eat this?), and my junk drawers are well, I am not even sure which one IS the junk drawer! In those moments, and I have them more than I would like to say, I have to remind myself that the little stuff in life does not matter! Focus on the big picture of living in the moment and receiving the peace of God in your life.
My favorite scripture is, Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
You know, God has it all in his hands. The big things and the little everyday things. Our job is to enjoy life to the fullest and to help our fellow man, woman, and don’t forget the children!
So the next time you feel like your world is spinning out of control, find another mom and give her a friendly shout-out. Chances are she is dealing with some of the same issues as you.
To all of the moms out there, I pray the peace of God will comfort you in all you do! You are AMAZING!!