Epiphany

e·piph·a·ny

A sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of  something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or  experience.

I had an epiphany yesterday while vacuuming.  Some of my greatest conversations with myself take place while vacuuming.  Haha.  Don't laugh.  It's a simple epiphany and it's probably advice that I have even been given before, but my ears wouldn't allow me to hear it, understand it, believe it, and trust it.  BUT, after MULTIPLE conversations with multiple different people this week, I was left with no choice but to revisit possible past advice and make it my epiphany.

BE CONFIDENT IN THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE.  IGNORE OPINIONS.

As mothers, I think we have this HORRIBLE tendency to compare.  Be it house rules, nap times/bed times, public school vs. homeschool vs. private school, television rules, ipod rules, disciplinary methods, dietary do's/don'ts... oh my goodness, the list is ENDLESS.  Anyone one of us can leave a play date or a quick conversation, while waiting to pick up your child from preschool, questioning your every ability as the mother of YOUR own children.  Honestly, it's a tad annoying.  

Then this morning, after my epiphany yesterday, I read this excerpt, from one of my favorite author's latest blog posts (an older, spiritually wiser, "been around the block" type of woman)

"I don’t really care as much what other people’s opinion of me is, because I know that I cannot please others and that my audience is the Lord. Only He can make me feel ok and centered with so much potential for failure, in the eyes of someone, who is looking and wanting to tell me their opinion." 

AMEN!  I felt like this was God's way of confirming my epiphany.  There are 40 different ways to parent, but we need to ask God, "Lord, how do YOU want Me to parent MY kids?"  The only opinion that matters to me is God's, because it's the only right opinion. Unless my decisions are SINFUL, I am holding on tight to being confident in the decisions that Darren and I make for OUR household and ignoring the opinions that others feel so stronger to make them our own.  "If we seek the approval of people regarding mothering, we will always fall short.  If we look to formulas to provide all of the answers, we most certainly will fail.  We cannot possible please God with man's rules, because God doesn't share authority in our lives.  We are to seek Him and Him alone, living in the freedom and grace He has given us in figuring out our own life puzzles."  ~Quoted from Sally Clarkson and Sarah Mae's book Desperate.

With that being said, I am thankful to have many wonderful, godly, mentors and friends in my life, who also compare stories and routines collectively, but overall, let the Holy Spirit do the convicting.  Now... if you want MY opinion on something, I'll give it, but always know, it's just MY opinion.  And we all know what "they" say about opinions anyway. 

"Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves." ~Romans 14:22