When Living Naturally Doesn't Come So Naturally

I have two posts in my drafts right now that I have yet to post because this has been on my heart lately. It's confession time. I am a perfectionist and it's proably one of my greatest character flaws at times. I always feel like I have to do it all and I start getting a proud heart and God is always the first one to humble me when that happens. I am thankful for that because sometimes I get so caught up in being "perfect" that I forget what's important. 

When I was little my mom asked me what I was doing and I said, "I'm teaching them (probably my dolls and stuffed animals) to be perfect!" That's apparently always been my goal in life is to be "perfect", but the Bible says there are none that are good, no not one. Talk about a piece of humble pie. Maddox has gotten on a kick lately of fixing something and saying, "There! Perfect!" Poor child has inherited my need to have everything perfect.

 My daily expectations for myself are so high they are literally unattainable and secretly I know that, but once again I think I can do it all. I feel like if I can't cook three natural/organic meals a day from scratch, have a solid daily devotion time, exercise, drink 100oz. of water a day, cloth diaper 100%, use essential oils instead of conventional medicines (and heaven forbid you use essential oils not from one specific brand), keep up a blog, keep up with that plethora of vitamins I give myself and my children daily, have a home that looks like it came out of Better Homes and Garden magazine,use only natural cleaning and bath and beauty products, have Pinterest worthy activities for my son to do, do Baby Led Weaning with my daughter, and be a good wife that isn't on the brink of snapping like a twig then I am not good enough. That is my expectation for myself people and the list could go on like bathing at some point during the week! lol 

What has happened is I see these moms say, "My child has never used a disposable a day in their life. I never see a need to use one." And these other moms say, "I never feed my child anything that isn't organic. Do you know how bad that other stuff is for them?" And some more moms saying your not going to produce enough milk if you aren't getting at least 100oz. of water a day. And so what happens is I take snippets of what this mom is "perfect" at and snippets of what another mom is "perfect" at and so on and so on. I put all that together in my mind and think I need to be perfect at all those things.So one mom may seem perfect at only eating natural/organic cooked from scratch meals, but she may not cloth diaper or exercise. Another mom may be perfect at exercising and drinking water,but she may not have a beautiful clean home, but I think I should be able to do all of that in one day!

I love the online community, but sometimes I need to back away because let's be honest we usually put the highlights of our lives on the internet and sometimes as a mom who spends her day in her pajamas covered in baby spit up and constantly cleaning up spills and things my two year old has destroyed it can be a little discouraging to read about or see these moms with make up on, a spotless house, and their Pinterest worthy organic dinner on the table. 

I have a chalk board on my mantle that says "It is finished" from John 19:30. Every time I walk by it and I'm franticking about my to-do list I just take a deep sigh of relief. IT IS FINISHED! Nothing more I need to do. Jesus has taken care of everything and continues to take care of everything. 

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9


Paul said I will boast about my weaknesses! Verse 10 goes on to say, "For when I am weak then I am strong"! 
I can't do it all and that's ok. I am going to focus on what's important and quit worrying so much about processed foods and GMOs and the like! Don't get me wrong I love natural living and there are areas of my life I've went natural and I have no plans to go back , but I am going to allow more of God's grace that he so freely gives to all that are willing. I just need to quit worrying and feeling guilty every time I don't measure up to my own unattainable expectations and start enjoying life more and spending more time where it matters.

With all that being said I plan to continue growing in natural living, but at a much slower pace and with alot more grace! :)

Happy Easter!! :)

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