Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Comparison:Does it steal your joy?

Alright Mamas, I've been a little out of touch this week. This past week just flew by, and my husband and I were in a wedding on Saturday.The wedding was wonderful, if any of you were wondering! I'm so glad to have these 2 people in my life, and now as fellow young married friends :).
However, weddings can bring out one of the worst things in me. Others don't really see it, for the battle is in my heart. This word is ugly. It should not be in my vocabulary because it frequently steals my joy. That word is COMPARISON! I have recently read this popular quote "Comparison is the thief of joy". I 100%  agree with this. Comparing doesn't just apply to weddings. Sure I think about my wedding flowers ( Should I have had more?), my pictures ( Did I have enough poses?) my centerpieces ( Why did I do them that way?). Seriously, it has been almost 2 years since my wedding day, and these questions still float around in my mind. Don't get me wrong. My wedding day was a lot of fun. From the sweet ceremony, to fun pictures in the field with lots of friends, to good food and dancing, and cake smashing! I had a great day! God was honored, and we enjoyed ourselves, what more do you need?
However, comparison isn't just tied to my wedding. I guess that would make it a lot easier to deal with if it was!
Comparison creeps into my life on daily basis. Whether it's comparing my clothes, my parenting techniques, my babies abilities, the clothes I have her in, the house I live in...and the list goes on and on! Exhausting right? How many of you struggle with this? Am I alone?Now maybe you are not like me, in that you are constantly comparing in almost every situation, and that's a good thing :).
However, if you do find yourself struggling with comparison. What do you do?

Well this is something simple you could do when you are tempted to compare. It comes from a children's song.
"Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings and see what God has done"
REALLY. If you stop when you are tempted to compare, and think of 5 things the Lord has already blessed you with, I wonder if it would change your perspective. I need to do this more often. How about you?

*As I count my blessings...She is one of them! :)

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for writing this Katie! I also find myself doing the exact same thing and often wondering why. It is almost comforting knowing that I am not the only one who struggles with this. The only thing I do to help is exactly what you have said. I just remember all the blessings God has given me and how I couldn't be thankful enough! Thank you for the reminder to keep thanking Him for all He has given me!

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