Giving Up on Good 1.0

I am always encouraged, entertained, and amused by Rachael's blog and found this giving up on good thing there. (which origniated here)

 

The idea is a post that gracefully explains the good things we've given up on with the intention of taking care of the things that really matter to us.

Instead of perpetuating the lie that you have to do it all well, all efficient, all the time- what if we spoke life to one another and imparted grace to one another by waving our white flags and admitting the good things we've walked away from to pursue the better things.

The idea is to share one or two things each week that you've given up on. Because you know you can serve your family, the Lord, or just keep a sense of peace by focusing your time, energy, talent, resources where He wants it to be.

 

I didn't have to think long about what my giving up on good for this week was.  Without a doubt it is: Trying to fix my family.

I am the youngest and the only girl in my family...with 4 older brothers. See here for more details.

So, in my childhood and lifetime thus far, I've had 100,001 opprotunities to flex my peacekeeper, peacemaker, fight/arguement breaker upper skills. And to this day, it is a knee jerk reaction to keep the peace, be the middle mediator woman, and "fix" my family if you will.

I have decided to give it up. I've decided that I am not my family's savior, I am not my family's mediator, I am not responsible to resolve the issues that go on.

 

The funny thing is that no one asks me to solve their issues and no one even usually antagonizes me to get in the middle...I just feel this need to fix! More like, a need for control. I just put the issues on my own shoulders and jump right in!

 

As a sister, daughter, cousin, neice, grand daughter, etc, I do feel a responsibility to intercede and pray for my family...I think all family should have eachother's backs like that. I am going to do ALOT more of this and ALOT less stressin' and worrin' and fixin'!

 

Along with not fixing them comes loving them just for who they are and just how they are.

Neither of these things are possible without Jesus's love and wisdom. So, I ask him how to love when it's hard. And I ask him when I'm "fixing" instead of surrendering. And I ask him to do the changing.

 

 

And then my life is a lot simpler.

So, here I am, throwing in the towel, giving up the referee shirt and walking out of the ring...giving up on fixin'.