You Are Enough, I Am Enough….Get Rid Of “IF”…..

This week, I went to the Farmer’s Market and found some wonderful fresh kale, mustard greens and spinach.

And there she was.

You know her, as I am sure you have seen her many, many times over the years.

Look at her.

That younger version of you.

She was a mother.

Her sweet little 3 year old in tow, dressed in a bright pink sun dress. I could see her pink bathing suit straps on her little shoulders under her pink sundress.

Soooo cute.

She had a smile bigger than she was and she started chatting with me about going to the beach with Mommy and Daddy.

I smiled at her excitement and innocence.

Her attractive mother smiled as she nodded to the talkative youngster.

“There are for sure no secrets at our house”…..

I smiled again as I remembered myself at that age….my mother thought I talked non-stop until I reached high school….and then I talked some more. 

I was holding the mustard greens in my hands as we chatted as strangers do over an outdoor\ produce counter.

The mother was not drop dead beautiful, but still, very attractive.

Her sun lightened hair piled loosely on top of her head…looking as though she just pulled it up quickly, but you know it took time to get it to look a bit messed up and casual.

Her eye make-up was impeccably applied, definitely mastering the “smokey eye look” as most of the millennials have perfected.

Her pouty lips were a nude pinkish color which complimented her flawless complexion. 

She wore a sheer, mostly white with splashes of black, cover-up that hung loosely on her body and it slid casually off one shoulder, revealing the black and white rope straps of a bathing suit.

From the back, the cover-up draped to appear as if she had nothing else on but the bathing suit… as her long, tan legs met the bottom of the blouse’s hem.

However, as she leaned into the table of red tomatoes…one could easily see that she had on a pair of hem-frayed jean shorts which matched the faded denim of her straw wedgie shoes.

She and her little daughter were so attractive.

So perfect.

In other words, one couldn’t help admiring her and her daughter for their almost model like appearance and yet they were shopping just like all the other casually dressed shoppers.

Perhaps I should explain the term “a younger version of you”.

In my younger days, I wouldn’t have looked quite like that young mother at the Farmer’s Market.

I couldn’t help but admire her with her pulled together look and it made me think back to when I was her age.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, my little daughter would have been clean and neat in a pair of solid colored shorts and matching print shirt….

…….and I would most likely have been in a pair of yellow walking shorts with a tucked in matching sleeveless top and white keds on my feet. (remember them??)

I would have had my eye make-up subtle, but visible and perhaps a folded scarf tied around my short poufy hair allowing the tail of the scarf to trail down my back.

But I am sure I would not have looked as great as she and her little girl on this casual day at the Farmer’s Market.

But it would have been enough.

Let me explain.

The great evangelist Billy Graham went to be with the Lord at the age of 99 this past week.

What a great man of God he was. 

And he was the first to tell you that we all have a purpose in our lives and it does not include perfection.

In this fast paced world we live in, we have become conditioned to perfection, and we should not be.

Whatever we do, in our minds, it is never enough.

As mothers and home makers as well as career women, we think we should be doing more.

We should bake more.

We should clean our homes more.

We should stay later after work more.

We should go into our jobs earlier than our regular hours.

We should apply for bigger and better paying jobs more.

We should study more.

But, my wonderful readers….., 

God made us as we are, each one of us different and with a purpose. 

We do have a purpose in life, but it is not reaching that pinnacle of perfection.

Let’s you and me…remove this phrase from our vocabulary…

You know what I mean.

“if I would have done this…it would have been enough.”

Or…

“if I would have had a little bit more time…”

“If I would have tried harder…”

“If I would have done that differently….”

I know,…I have been there too. That is called the “almost enough” syndrome. 

The “almost enough” mentality needs to be removed from our thought processes.

We need to quit expecting perfection of ourselves and we shouldn’t look at others with awe….because guess what?

They have their own issues and in spite of appearances…they have burdens to bear too. 

We ALL do.

We need to think of our purpose in life and it does not include chiding ourselves with “I could have done better.”

Don’t listen to that voice….it is not of God.

Romans 8:28 says “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according go His purpose.”

God made each of us as we are…

…….If we were supposed to be thinner….we’d be.

…..If we were supposed to be richer, we’d be.

……If we were supposed to be more talented or have more gifts, we would have them.

We have all the blessings we need at our fingertips, but that ugly “almost enough” syndrome is stopping us.

Everything we have inside of you and me…is complete to do what each one of us are called to do, according to His purpose.

 

We need to love.

Love each other.

Love the unlovely.

Pray that God will show you your purpose.

I love you!!!!

All of you !!!!

And we are enough!