I am not Superwoman!

How do you do it, Christina? How do you have time for things? These questions were asked of me yesterday. I had to reflect on it a little because people’s perception of me is very different from reality. To be honest, I don't do it all. I am not superwoman! I think I am realizing that it is a good thing I am not. Nobody is perfect and nobody can do everything; but for some reason many women are under a delusion that you have to do all, be all and look pretty at the same time.

God has me in a season now of learning what it is to be His daughter. It has been a very interesting time of growing and finding out that my expectations are most of the time very different than His. For a long time, I placed some very unrealistic (what I like to call) burdens upon myself. For instance someone once told me that your house should be able to receive unexpected guest everyday within 30 minutes of your dear husband’s phone call. Wow, I really allowed that to put unnecessary pressure on me when my third baby came into the picture. I have also realized that I was actually letting people speak things like that into my life quite a bit. I felt that I need to follow all these rules to be the perfect pastor's wife and mom.

It all came down to the fact that I was living my life waiting for the approval of others. When in actuality the only approval I need is Christ's! I began to ask God to prioritize my life. He began to show me what is most important to Him. What is most important is my relationship with Him. I can keep and clean house all day...care for the children...make meals....exercise....do hobbies....do things at church....whatever; but if I am falling asleep during my devotions my priorities are not right. So sometimes things have to be restructured. Sometimes things have to be reconsidered. Sometimes things need to have us let go. Sometimes we just need to realize that we are in a season and it is okay.

I am in the baby season of life. My little one consumes me sometimes and it is a wonderful time. But, God has also called me to be a minister to the children at our church, be a mom to two older beautiful girls and a wife. Somewhere...in all of this...I can not lose my sanity. So somewhere something has to give and right now it is my house. I am okay with that. I am getting to the place that I can just be real. If someone stops by unexpected...I have to be okay with dirty dishes in the sink. I have to be okay with folded laundry on the couch. It is where my life is right now. My priorities are right....my relationship with Jesus is growing like never before and I am not falling asleep during my time with Him.

So, if you stop by my house and see it in its "real" state, this is what you may see.....

If only my children were as patient as my laundry....see how patiently it sits there waiting for me to come and care for it....
Oh, I wish I thought better during this photo...I missed the big glob of blue toothpaste that was sitting on the back side of the sink.... Hey, check out the Starbucks snow globe, it very cute, thanks sis.

The mustard stained IKEA dish is mine...I forgot to rinse it off good...it wasn't fun to clean later. LOL Is it just my children or do other children throw straws in the sink??? For some reason, I can't get them to throw them in the trash. LOL

Oh, my kitchen table the main hub of our home...when it gets cleaned off after a Wednesday night ...I think it gets lonely.

If only Elmo could get busy and clean up the perpetual toy mess on my living floor. Maybe if I pay him $7.40 I might begin to see results.

See my Nutcrackers bravely guarding my folded laundry while I write my blog....I later had to fire them because the baby monster pulled them all down to the floor.

To be honest I was scared to do this...but I wanted to share it with you. Right now my house is last on my list. When the baby is older, I will get some of my time back. I know now that my time is better spent playing with my baby on the floor than cleaning behind my oven. I want my little man to have moments with me that are lasting for a lifetime. We are not guaranteed a long life...so I want to make the most of each day. So when my children remember me they will not remember the clean house we always had; but the fun they had and the love they felt from John and me.

As women we must be careful not to judge other women. We don't know what phase of life they might be in or what they might be going through. Let us always be mindful of Christ's love and compassion. Let's help one another and encourage. Don't put unnecessary pressure on ourselves or others to be Superwoman...she doesn't exists.

I am reminded that sometime we need to be like Mary when all the world is acting like Martha.

Luke 10:38-42

[38] As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. [39] She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. [40] But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

[41] "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, [42] but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."



Ask God what are some things you may need to let go of...be with Jesus and...