Joy and Peace in an Imperfect Life

It's interesting to me how hard we are on ourselves.

We see what appears to be perfection all around us. Magazine racks are full of it; most people only post, instagram, and tweet their best moments, not their worst. And as a result we often find ourselves feeling inadequate.

As Steven Furtick would say, we compare our worst moments to everyone else's highlight reels.

I make a list of things I want to get done every single week and every single day, and ultimately many items on the list get put onto the next week's list.

So is life.

We're human. We're not perfect. And sometimes we sit on the couch too long; sometimes we hit snooze too many times; sometimes we eat double chocolate chunk cookies instead of bananas.

But why are we so hard on ourselves?

I'd like to advocate that we can find peace and joy in the imperfect lives we live.

I'm over perfection. Done with that. I used to beat myself up about not getting it all done.

I'm learning that when the important things get done the little things don't matter as much. They'll get done. Eventually. And I'm not going to beat myself up about them.

I'm also learning that I am most happy when I'm doing what I feel like I was made to do.

I'm happiest when I'm strong physically, when I'm in His word, when my family is 1st on the list.

When I'm not strong, and connected to the Word and putting my family first, I feel guilty, frazzled, and unhappy.

Joy and peace exist when you're doing what you feel the Lord has called you to do, and when you're not too worked up about everything else.

That's it.

Just a little joy and peace in an imperfect life on a day that made an imperfect life okay.

Today, I am incredibly grateful for a man who died so that I could live. Typing it brings tears to my eyes. To love someone that much is amazing. And he loved me and he loved you enough to die for us  thousands of years ago.

Today I'm grateful that because of the cross I can find peace and joy in imperfection. What a glorious, glorious day.