On "Having it Together"

Lately, I've gotten a few sweet compliments from friends about how "together" I have things. Wow. That shocks me every time. I sent Jake to work with a thank you note for a co-worker who had given us a really sweet Christmas present and she happily responded with something like, "Oh, a thank you note! That's so Tobi." When Jake told me I was somewhere between laughing hysterically and correcting her. Truth is, I suck at thank you notes... the ones from our wedding took over six months to get out (to my horror). Just to add on to that... our fridge has a whole shelf known as the "sticky zone", I have at least one break down a week, and I spent ten minutes looking for my pants this morning (unsuccessfully).

"Together" is not how I would describe myself, but those kind of comments give me hope.

I have a lot of role models and some very big shoes to fill. My aunt has six kids (one more in the oven) and still manages to send them all to play dates, music lessons, church and scouts. Oh, and she feeds them all... she's a miracle worker. My mom owns several companies, works her butt of on a daily basis and still somehow managed to raise three kids and be one of the craftiest people I know. I won't even go into detail about my grandmother, who was a business owner, owns hundreds of pairs of shoes and taught me never to go out with wet hair or without my "face on". The women in my family have set some high standards.

I'd like to have it all together some day. I'd like to be a great cook, stay up with current events and be a room mom. I want to be a good woman in a storm. I'd like to be built for crisis. But more than anything I want to try to love myself as much as God loves me. I want to remember that even though the suggestion that my life is "together" sends me into fits of laughter now, I am enough just how I am. I hope you remember that too. You are good enough. You are loved immensely... more than you can ever understand.

He has a plan for each of us. He knows exactly how amazing we can be if we just rely on him. We'll all keep growing. Some days we'll send great thank you notes, be able to find our pants in the first place we look and make it to the gym. Some days we'll burn dinner, count french fries as a vegetable and step in gum. Regardless, we'll take the small victories and remember God loves us.