perfection

I'm a perfectionist.  Not with everything, but with many things.  And I'm pretty sure I've been that way for awhile.  My dad tells me stories of how he and I used to sit down and draw pictures together and if my picture wasn't exactly perfect, I'd crumple it up and throw it away.  I always tried to do my school work perfect and wanted my hair to look perfect and oftentimes wanted everyone else to think I was perfect, too. Even now, the pictures on my wall need to be exactly symmetrical and I want my bed to be made so that the comforter falls over the edge the same amount on both sides.  But beyond just how my house looks, I also want to be the perfect wife and mom.  You know the kind: the kids are always wearing clothes with no stains with hair combed exactly right.  The mom has a trendy haircut that is styled even at 9:00am when she's out grocery shopping.  And then she returns to her perfectly clean house where everything has a spot and it's all in its spot.  When her husband comes home from work, dinner is ready and the table is set and they have a wonderfully perfect evening because that's what they are: perfect.  And then I get up each morning and wear pajamas until about 10:00am and try and get something put together for lunch while attempting to keep the toys at least contained within the room they came from.  If you look closely in the corners, there is sure to be dust bunnies.  There are always laundry piles (clean and dirty) somewhere in the house.  I often leave the house with no make-up.  And it's a miracle if I have something ready for dinner by the time my husband is home from work (except this week!  We're doing well on this meal planning thing so far!).  It sure doesn't sound like a perfect picture of a family, but I've learned that I just need to accept that.  I need to let some things go.  My house doesn't need to look perfect, my kids don't need to look perfect and I don't need to look perfect.  And the mom who looks perfect in every way?  Is she really?  We don't really know anything except what's on the surface.  But, of course, we're moms...and want to compare every single thing with her.  Why do we do that?  Why do I do that?  Regardless if that perfect mom is really perfect or not, God doesn't want us to live trying to be the image of her or whatever we think perfection happens to be.  He wants us to live in the image of Himself.  That's how He created us!  Lord, help me to reflect Your image and be the wife and mom You want me to be.

Meanwhile, I do believe I will  have many more years of praying that this little girl also learns that things don't need to be perfect:

She does this with her orange every time she peels it and has done it all on her own.  This is just one of many "perfectionist" traits she seems to carry on.  Lord, teach us both!