Expectations

I have been thinking a lot these days about expectations. It seems that as a homeschool mom, a LOT is expected of me. Some days, I really feel the pressure! The last few days, I have had to step back and take a good look at the pressure of these expectations and where it is coming from.

I have found that the majority of the pressure that I feel comes directly from my inside my head! Yep, most of it is not put on me by my husband, my children, my extended family, my friends or my church but it is heaped on my little ‘ole me!

I have realized that I don’t have to be a perfect housekeeper, or a perfect wife or a perfect mother, or a perfect teacher or a perfect cook…. When I strive to be what I think I should be, I often get so wrapped in an ‘image of perfection’ that I forget about what is really important. Please don’t think that I try to be someone that I am not but that I often feel like I need to “be more” than I am capable of at this ‘season’ in my life.

Am I more concerned that my floor is mopped or that I am laughing with my 21 month old? Am I more concerned that the couch is cleaned out that I forget to read to my 3 year old? Am I too busy reading email that I don’t just sit and talk ‘life’ with my 9 year old? Am I too busy being what I think I should be that I forget who I am?

I think that this happens to all of us at one time or another. It is a REALLY good thing to have high expectations and strive for them but we must remember that before anything else, we are a child of God. We were created by a Divine being and we were created in His image… so that would make us ‘divine’ creatures (even when we don’t feel like it b/c we are still in our PJ’s at 3:00 in the afternoon – LOL).

When we are feeling overwhelmed, I think it is a good thing to step back to look at our priorities and to focus on what really matters. Sometimes, we just have to do what we can and then be pleased that we did *something*.

Many of you are going through your own battles… it could be marriage issues, health issues, issues with your children, or even issue’s that you have put upon yourself. I encourage you to step back, give things to the Lord and then work on the things that are true priorities. Tell your husband you love him, spend time with your kids, take a nap, go for a walk or spend some extra time with the Lord…. You know the things that really need to be done.

Don’t let YOUR expectations bog you down to the point where you feel too overwhelmed to do anything. Take care of the *most important* and the rest will seem to take care of itself.

Blessings,
Dana