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Let It Be Enough

When you look back at your day today (or if reading this in the morning, looking back at your day yesterday), do you feel you did enough? Hmm…

I used to look back at most days and feel like a failure. I rarely, if ever at all, thought “ah, today was a great day. I did enough”. 


Enough what, though? Laundry? Cleaning? Organising? Connecting with loved ones? Praying? Prepping healthy meals? Exercise? Fun with the kids? Penance? Work? Helping others? Resting?


Even taking just one of those on the list, I don’t know if I knew how much was what I’d have considered ‘enough’. 


What is enough? As much as is required. Well, that’s pretty subjective, isn’t it? And when you throw some perfectionism into the mix, high expectations, some people-pleasing and a tendency to over-do for others….yikes… “enough” is pretty unattainable!


Peeling it back…back to the basics: what is as much as is required? Well, I’m a wife and mother. First and foremost, though, I am a daughter of God. What is required of me is to know, love and serve God in this life - primarily through the duties of my state in life. 


That can seem like a tall order, too! 


But again; remove the perfectionism, the high expectations, the people-pleasing and the overdoing. Keep it to the basics. What is as much as is required? It is what I can feasibly do in a day.


I know that may be a frustrating concept. I know it would be nice to have a checklist. The truth is, however, that it looks different every day for every person. And honestly, what it looks like in the morning can change throughout the day. 


What stays consistent, though, is Him. 

God. 

He stays steady, present, there. 


Consider the Loaves and the Fish. Over 5,000 people had gathered to hear Jesus speak. The crowd grows hungry and the Apostles are asked to gather what they can in the way of food for people to eat. They bring five loaves of bread and two fish. Five loaves of bread and two fish! That is not enough - not as much as is required to feed all that are there. 


What happens? Jesus commands: “bring them hither to me”. He takes the five loaves and two fish and HE MAKES IT ENOUGH. They bring what they can and He makes it as much as is required, with many baskets left over.


We are not asked to perform miracles. We are asked to do what we can. He will do the rest. How beautiful that is! 


When pregnant with my fifth baby last year I was able for very, very little each day. My doctor wisely told me “God has put the handbrake on”. 


Honestly though, even outside of pregnancy it sometimes means days where I briefly offered my day to God, kept the kids safe and fed, didn’t let the house burn down (just the toaster!), managed to be fairly sufficiently clothed and fed myself…reaching bedtime with just enough energy left to fall into it. 


If I have more than one of those days in a row, though, I know something needs to change. I used to spend almost every day like that and a lot needed to change: emotional and nervous system regulation, perfectionism, high standards, people-pleasing and over-doing to name just a few!


What are your expectations of your day? Are they reasonable for the season you are in or the circumstances surrounding you? Or are you expecting more of yourself than God is? 


The times in my life where I have felt like the burden of my day was too heavy, I was turning my attention to things that were unnecessary. And I was burning myself out in the process. Giving my attention to God first thing in the morning and asking Him to guide my day - and to give me the graces I need to do that - helps me remain focused on what needs to be done. On what the next right action is. On what is enough. 



I pray a simple prayer each and every morning: “Dear God. Please show me what You want me to do and help me to do it. Thank You.”


How do I know that what I do then is enough (as much as is required) for that day? I don’t. So I trust and hope that renewing my effort each and every day - and several times throughout the day - to the best of my ability, is as much as is required for Him to take and make enough. Allow Him, allow Truth itself to lead you through your day. And let it be enough.




Take care of you. And Let Truth Bloom.

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