Momming 102 – Mommin’ Ain’t Easy

“I didn’t ask you to be her.  I asked you to be you.” – God (Source)

Sometimes, we, as moms, feel like we are missing something.  We feel like there is a piece of a puzzle somewhere that every other mom received, but somehow we missed the memo, and now we are coming up a little short of our own expectations of motherhood.

The reality is that we missed nothing.  If we would just accept that “mommin’ ain’t easy” then life could go on as planned.  We would save ourselves headache.  We would save ourselves heartache.  We would save ourselves self-lectures and self-loathing because mommin’ was never meant to be easy.  No mom ever said that mommin’ was easy.  Mommin’ ain’t easy.

It does not look like Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook feeds.  It does not look like perfect off guards.  It is not foil balloons on birthdays and babies sleeping on books and in baskets. Those are just the highlights. I read a blog today by a blogger named Zoe that makes sure that mom’s know to savor EVERY moment (EVEN the difficult ones)!  I read another one where a mom internalized what someone told her and let it eat away at her until she realized that sometimes a mom’s strength lies in letting go.

So today, choose to let go of the girl who has all the right answers, says all the right things, and is in all of the right places at all the right times.  Choose to stop looking at her and what she does and how she would approach this.  Choose to release the unrealistic expectations you have built for yourself.  Choose to ignore the girl inside who sometimes screams so loudly you cannot hear yourself think.  The biggest problem is not the her on your feed.  It is not the her with the huge following.  It is not the her without a hair out of place.  It is not the her who always finds the perfect lighting and backdrop.

The biggest problem is the her who stares back at you in the mirror.

God never asked you to be her.  He never asked you to be whoever it is you thought that life required for you to succeed…for you to “make it.”

The only her He ever asked you to be was already there before you ever looked in the mirror at her.

You do not need to be whatever “her” you have conjured in your mind.  God narrowed down His word to two requirements.  Love Him.  And love others as you love yourself.  No improvements necessary. (Matthew 22:39)

This is not to say that you cannot grow.  This is not to say that God is not calling you for more at times.  I am not speaking of His purpose for your life.

I am instead speaking of the expectations you got directly from her, whether the her is others…or the her is yourself.

You are a mom.  I am a mom, and mommin’ ain’t easy.  So if we could do ourselves a favor, and just be who we are.  That would be great.

“‘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.'”  (Jeremiah 29:11)

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What are some things that you do to keep yourself from trying to be her?

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People do not always realize that they are messengers.  Chandra Lynn nominated me for this Quote Challenge not realizing that she was only asking me to do what God had already been asking me to do.  She added that I do not have to write every day.  I only have to post a quote and keep it moving, but that was never God’s parameters.  She was sent to me to deliver a message.  Message received.  Day 2.

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who nominates you
2. Post one quote per day for 3 consecutive days
3. Nominate three new bloggers each day

I’d like to nominate the following bloggers.  Whether they accept or not, I believe each of them has an amazing format and people should definitely see it.

1.  21flavorsofsplendor
2.  SunSparkleShine
3.  Your Morning Power

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Linked at Moments of Hope