recognizing it

Seven year old-"when it's summer it's to hot so I want it to be winter and when it's winter it's to cold so I want it to be summer"

Me-"you can't always wish away the season that you're in, you just have to try and enjoy it."

As soon as my response came out of my mouth I knew I wasn't talking about the weather any more.

Enjoying the season of life that you are in can be incredibly easy or enormously challenging. We live in a world of comparison.

The number one reason for comparison used to be people in magazines, how they look and the fact that we don't look that way.

But a new movement, bringing the realities of air brushing to light, has helped that catalyst for comparison to die down.

What has come up in it's place? Social media.

I love social media. I love seeing pictures of my family and friends, I love sharing with a community in an easy way.

There are truly so many positive things that come from connecting through social media.

Comparison is not one of them.

A lot of times, it isn't our intention but other times we can feel ourselves doing it. Mentally, we are making a bulletin board of our lives and putting them beside someone else's, with a 'vs' between the two.

Over time this way of thinking starts to eat away at our confidence and most often, comes up in hurtful ways.

It's the annoyance of feeling like someone else's marriage seems more romantic than your own. It's the struggle of the new mom who feels insecure about her body and it's the sadness of the person who is lonely, once again 'liking' someone else's engagement announcement.

Comparing myself to others sometimes feels out of my control.

The thought happens so quickly I almost don't even recognize it. But when I was explaining to a seven year old to 'enjoy the season she's in', it hit me.

When I am envious of someone else's circumstance, I am not appreciating my own.

And even though some seasons of life are as cold as ice, they are NOT without purpose. 

No experience, struggle or hurt is ever waisted on you.

God has given us fellowship with others so that we can run this race together. 

Not to slow up, look up and down and think "she has at least ten pounds on me" NO!

It's so that we can encourage each other.

In closing the door to comparison, we open up room for way more love.

and love always wins.

-haley