Hello, Friend!
Today, I am a different person than the ‘fresh out of college & heading toward my honeymoon ‘ woman who looked back at me in the mirror 30 years ago. Ahhh! I didn’t know about life, about marriage, about much of anything. Not like I do now.
Time Changes Us
We all change with the years, but when we seek the Lord as we do, He changes us. By God’s grace, mercy and love, I am changed! I am Tamara, A Girl in the Middle. My friends call me Tami or Tam. My mother would like you to call me Tamara, I know because she did, often. That change of tune (in tone- not name), would swing from trouble to best friends through the years~Oh, I miss her voice calling my name. When it came to girls, it was just the two of us. Sometimes I think I need her more now than ever.
My five brothers would likely tattle that I was always in the middle~ of everything. Conversely, my husband & my sons will tell you that’s exactly where they like me-right in the middle of all we do. And no one knows it more than me: I will tell you I am in the middle, too.
There seems to be at least 10 things I’m always in the middle of, and if you’re anything like me, you probably are too.
10 Things I Am in the Middle Of
- the kitchen {pretty sure all day is an exaggeration…}
- the laundry room {which is how I know the above is an exaggeration!}
- the grocery store
- the bathroom, cleaning
- the car running here and there
- the boy’s practices & games
- the coffee shop with a friend
- a great book {but not for long!}
- a phone call
- an endless to-do list…
There, in the middle of so much, I sometimes lose focus, & I find myself in the middle of places I don’t like to be. Not going out on much of a limb here to suggest I have plenty of good company in these places too.
10 Hard Places I Find Myself in the Middle Of
- discouragement
- discontentment
- anxiousness
- sleeplessness
- disarray
- impatience
- unkindness {my own}
- sluggishness {…much easier to type than laziness}
- selfishness
- loneliness
- hopelessness…
The Biggest Hurdle in my Life
And strangely even the opposite of some of the same is true and I tend to get stuck in CONTROL {this has been the biggest hurdle in my life}. Control is a twin of pride, and surprisingly it shows up and looks just like the things that earn us feel goods such as a pat on the back or an atta girl from other moms:
10 Bad things {that look good} I find myself wrapped in the Middle of
- over-performance
- obsessively organizing life’s everything
- right-fighting
- presence at every event
- people pleasing
- perfection seeking and expectation thereof
- exhaustion {emotionally, physically & spiritiually}
- saying yes, always
- doing instead of being
- serving others at the cost of my family
Where’s your struggle?
Oh, the journey the Lord has taken {is taking} me on to teach me different. That’s why I’m here, and it’s why I’m glad to have you walk along with me. He has changed me! He wants to change you, too! Through HIS grace, His Word, His truths, His love, some trials and a lot of just pure goodness, the Lord has shown me how to change. He has forgiven me & He has changed me to be more like Jesus. I am different now & I want all my girlfriends to know the same freedom-no matter where or what you find yourself in the middle.
I’ve got a lot to work on with the Lord’s help. Will you join me?
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