“Isn’t it frustrating that we can’t be God? … Sometimes I wish I could just be good enough and do enough to make it all better, to never make mistakes, and to heal all the hurts that stretch so wide and deep in the world. But alas I cannot. I never could.” ~Gwen Ford Faulkenberry
This was the opening of my devotional, and oh how true it is! I can never fix it all or do it all. None of us can. Some of my clients are truly a hot mess. Other clients aren’t even close to a hot mess, but they want it ALL under control. Neither personality is all good or all bad. Those that are a hot mess are often the ones that are so focused on the world outside their walls that their own house is a bit out of control. But they adopt babies, take in foster kids, serve endlessly at their school or church, help support amazing charities… Those that want it all under control often have homes where they welcome others in and love their little part of the world inside their own walls. They keep their homes nice and tidy, but sometimes don’t truly get to enjoy the people inside their walls as they are consumed by trying to keep it all perfect and in control.
But here’s the thing… we’re really all the same. Hot Mess or Control Freak… we aren’t God. Those out serving the world are beat down by how much there is left to do. Those that are creating a home in which they can love their people feel like they are spinning their wheels to keep all the people and all the things in order. Our house will never be perfect, our kids won’t always be happy, our kids will make poor choices, the world will still be messed up with hurting people, the world will never be fair…
I see so many women struggling with depression, anxiety and self-image, ultimately because we aren’t God. We won’t ever get it all right or fix it all or control it all.
This holiday season I want to encourage you to remember that we aren’t God – we won’t get it perfect, we can’t do everything and be everything to everybody and we certainly can’t fix it all. Take time to remember who God is, and that only through him do we have a chance at having the strength to do what he created us to. And even then, sometimes we’ll be more of a mess than we wish we were, our house won’t be perfect, there will be things we can’t fix, relationships we can’t heal and people we can’t help. So what do we do… submit our hearts and lives to our loving Savior and let His thoughts and His ways control our little part of the world.
I hope you can find joy this holiday season in being thankful for who God made you to be. Celebrate Jesus and your part of the world he put you in to serve and love those around you the way he created you to, even though we’ll never be perfect at it like He was.