Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:27
I’m tired of feeling guilty.
Tired of being told that I’m missing life by not creating a Pinterest wonderland in my home. Tired of being told that I must appreciate each moment and scrapbook it for the memories. I’m tired of being told by people who aren’t me that I should appreciate the life I have as it’s going to be gone all too quickly.
The truth is I am intensely aware of these things and sometimes wonder if I should be doing more to record the wonder that is this time. I take on this guilt, this feeling that I’m not enough far too readily and Pinterest wins as begin the search for the worlds best chocolate chip cookie recipe or Paw Patrol themed lunches. The feeling of life moving quickly and me not doing enough are feelings I wish I could rid myself of. The truth is most people I know are willing to admit freely that life is moving swiftly and we’re wondering how we can get on top of things and ‘be enough’. How can we spend more time? How can we invest in our children/lives/passions more fully?
I think perhaps it’s time we let go of the guilt and those phrases and reminders. The truth is when we worry, when we fret and fear we aren’t investing our time in the what is but instead find ourselves focusing on the what ifs which haven’t yet happened. This is a problem. Sometimes we get so invested in creating perfect moments that we forget it’s okay to have perfectly normal moments. That in the perfectly normal moments we are alive and that life as simple as it may be is a gift.
It’s time for us to stand up and own those simple moments. It’s time to accept there is beauty to be found in those family dinners and bed time struggles we often think are imperfect. It’s ok to say my knitting is just for me or to choose reading over putting away the laundry. Who cares what Pinterest thinks? So what if our friends post memes on Facebook? It’s time we stop believing that perfection is our purpose.
It’s time for new words in which to live by. How about acceptance, peace, grace and understanding? What good words, what strong words! These words are words in which to build a life. When we live a life that accepts mistakes, that offers peace instead of worry, that showers grace and understanding on those we meet we are demonstrating to the world what a good life is, what a light-filled life is. When we stop focussing on perfection and start focussing on the heart of things we find that God goes with us, is in us and we are given the strength needed to keep living and loving one another.
It’s the simple moments that make our days. It’s the routines and trust that’s built over years of living together and loving one another that helps build bonds and create memories. Simple things matter. Time spent together matters. Let’s start a movement. Let’s stop worrying. Let’s stop worrying about what we think we should be doing and instead do what we’re doing with intention and purpose. Worrying doesn’t fix what tomorrow brings but only wastes what today has to offer.
Free yourself.
Let go of the guilt.
Go sit in your life and live it with wild abandon.
Do what you need to do. Find your passion and be passionate! Invest in your loved ones and live the life that God has given you.
God goes with you today.
Go with God and do not worry.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6: 34
