Maybe you struggle with expectations too. Weighted down with deadlines, to do's, mommy guilt, calendar overload? I think our google calendars should include a setting that notifies us women with alarms when the events and tasks are beyond our limits. BEEP! BEEP! ARE YOU SEERIOUS?! ADDING THIS EVENT WILL CAUSE EXTREME STRESS! PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE AND GO TAKE A BUBBLE BATH INSTEAD! Would we even listen? We push our limits everyday as we believe the lie that we should be able to do it all. We all have this imaginary woman in our minds that has it all together. She follows us around saying things like, "if you were a great mom, you would have made homemade cookies instead of sending that store-bought crap box to the class party" or "if you managed your time better like me, then you would have time to keep your house organized and volunteer at the school and be the PTO president and work out at the gym and bake homemade organic bread and get that promotion at work  and and and  ..."

 Let's find a new imaginary girl to walk this journey with us. She could speak words of grace over us. Words of freedom and relief. Better yet, let's do that for each other. Let's speak the words of Christ, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew11:28  

I have felt overwhelmed and overextended so many times as I have tried to live life listening to the expectations of the imaginary woman who "has it all together". I finally gave up, hung up my cape, and found freedom. Jesus came to give us abundant life. Let's ask him to write our to do list. Let's consult him before we add more to our calendars and then walk in freedom.

Whose expectations are you living under?  Is it time to hang up your cape? 

I've included a picture that one of my children drew of me when she was four. It was so funny to me because I think it has been an accurate image of me at times when I've stressed myself and my family as I tried to be Together Girl. Scary. 

Thank you Jesus for the freedom we can walk in with you. Thank you that you don't have these expectations of us. Only grace as we walk out your to do list. Help us depend on your strength as we obey. Thank you for walking beside us sharing our load, making it light.  Amen