I can’t.

Not long ago, I collapsed on my bed with tears streaming, heart pounding, wanting to scream into the pillow or outside to the world.

I had just taken my frustration out with angry words to my son and the pounding of a Swiffer mop on the floor. (Note: I later apologized to my son and asked for his forgiveness. And the Swiffer mop is just fine.)

I cried out to God,”I can’t.”

“I can’t take care of my son and take care of our pets and clean a house and do laundry and do the grocery shopping and work two jobs and run a blog and cook dinner and be an adequate wife. I can’t do all that, God.”

Guess what? I was right.

I really can’t do all that. I’ll admit I’ve overdramatized things just a little. Many women do so much more than I do from day to day. (And they probably don’t stop to throw pity parties for themselves in the middle of it all.)

The truth is, however, I can’t do much on my own.

There’s this whole “I’m enough/you’re enough” movement that has swept the web and blogs all over it. I get what they are saying. No woman (or anyone for that matter) should ever feel that they don’t measure up to some standard that society has set for them.

But realistically, on a lot of days, I’m not enough.

The good thing is I don’t have to be. Because He is.

I can’t…but He can.

We all know the verse Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (NKJV)

But do we know the context of this verse?

Paul also wrote about not being anxious.

He wrote about thinking on good things.

He wrote about being content. 

Oh, and he was most likely in prison when he wrote it.

Please tell me why, if we believe the words of this well-known Scripture, we allow ourselves to become overwhelmed trying to do EVERYTHING on our own?

I’m mostly speaking to the mamas here.

We have a lot going on, right? Whether you work outside the home or inside the home. Whether you have a spouse or are a single mom. Whether you have one child or five (or more). No matter your income level or other family circumstances you may have, our lives are busy and many times complicated. 

But we try so hard to be supermom. Not just that but superwife, super church member, superfriend. Yes, we are strong women. But nobody is super.

Truthfully, I’m glad I am not.

Because all of those places where I lack, HE fills in the gaps. And he does it so much more adequately than I ever could.

I love this other verse from Paul:

“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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

What?? Brag about weakness? Oh, yes, my friend. Because in all of my weakness, He gets to show His perfect power. In my helplessness, He displays his might.

When I fall short, He takes over. 

When I feel like I can’t take another step, He finishes for me. 

When I’m not enough, He is.

That’s how much He loves me. That’s how precious He finds me. To the point that He would care enough about my (mostly) humdrum life to wrap me up and carry me through it.

Oh, sweet mamas, I feel you. I truly do. And on those days when it feels like too much just to get out of bed and function. When those children seem to be doing everything possible to make your job harder. When the laundry is piling up and the car line is long and deadlines are looming and one more step seems like climbing Mount Everest…

When you can’t…remember that He can.

Love in Christ,

 

 

 

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