You are Enough, Mama!

"Comparison is the thief of joy." This phrase rings true frequently in my life, and even more so now as a mom.  There are lots of things they say moms should do.  Read the books, the websites, listen to the speakers.  You're supposed to breastfeed.  And talk to them all of the time.  And follow baby wise.   And ya da ya da ya da! I often find that when I read books for information, I close the book feeling discouraged. "Dang it, I'm not doing that, either.  I'm not doing enough.  I'm not enough."  

Over the last few days, I've had a few conversations with other mama friends and let me tell you, they  were freeing.  I began to see that in reality, none of us really have it all together.  We're really all just trying our best to do what we can to nurture and love our little babes.  And that is beautiful.  The grace of motherhood is beautiful.  I don't have it all together, and I don't have to.  I don't breastfeed my babes, and that's okay.  I don't always get a shower in, have the dishes washed, and dinner ready when my husband's home, and that's okay.  I don't have to be reading books to my girls every minute they are awake, and that's okay.  I'm learning to stop feeling like I have to be the mom that other moms are, and that God has uniquely created and gifted me to be a mom.  I can be the mom God has created ME to be, not the mom he has created other women to be.  I don't have to keep comparing, I can rest in the truth that Jesus has equipped me just as I am to take care of my daughters.  And I can also rest in knowing that I will have moments where I fail, but Jesus will not, and by his grace, I can be the mom he has created me to be.  Mamas, rest in knowing that you are equipped and enough just as you are, and that in the moments where you mess up, Jesus steps in and pours grace over you.