SEPTEMBER: YOU ARE ENOUGH

Micah 6:8  (King James Version)
​He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
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Concept:    We’re entering the season of pumpkin patch pictures. You know, when a look at social media shows all the families who have their lives all put together, posing for lovely, effortless photos in a pumpkin patch. Or a field of sunflowers. Scrolling through social media, it’s almost impossible to feel adequate. Whether it’s photo sessions, special trips, cute family rituals, beautiful meals, kids’ activities, or craft projects, other people’s lives often make us feel incompetent instead of inspiring us with ideas. We live in an age when it is easy for people to broadcast their most put-together selves, and we feel the pressure! There are so many ideas, so many opportunities. And it’s overwhelming.
    The Bible has something to say about that. In response to a question about making things elaborate and complicated, the prophet Micah says that what’s required is actually quite simple. Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly. That’s all. Pumpkin patch pictures are fine if they give your household joy. But if they don’t, they’re just noise.
    This month, we take a deep breath and learn to trust that we, created in God’s image and entrusted with these young lives, are enough. Because God is enough.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
​Read It: Micah 6:8    and Ephesians 2:10
You are God’s masterpiece  “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” ​​
​Pray It     Creator God, we are made in your image. Jesus, you walk with us. Spirit, you guide us. You are enough. We are enough.  Amen.
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Do It:  
  • Beginnings and Endings: Put life into perspective by framing your day with Micah 6:8.
    • Morning: Read or recite the verse together.
    • Evening: As you eat supper or as part of the bedtime routine, look back at your day through the lens of this verse. When did you do justice? When did you love mercy? When did you walk humbly? Or to put it in more simple terms, when did you do the right thing? When were you kind? When did you do something to care for the earth or another creature?
    • Reflecting on your day through this lens can help to put the pressures of life into perspective. Rather than reviewing accomplishments, this is about noticing where you were your best human self. And over time, it helps children internalize what we as parents and caregivers value.
  • Social Media Break: If you find yourself feeling inadequate while looking at social media, it might be time to take a break. Determine an amount of time to be absent from social media, and stick to it! Notice what changes in you during that time. Then decide how, when and whether to re-engage.
  • Be Present: Sometimes we are trying so hard to make things special or to orchestrate experiences that we forget to be present. Take the energy you would spend on planning an experience, and spend it on really being with your child(ren). Really listen to them. Play with them. Look at them.
  • Embrace your realness. Print a couple of pictures that catch your family members being their most human selves, and proudly display them.​​​​
                                                                                                                                           Unsplash photo by Jakob Owens
​​​​Explore it:   A Note from Tami
​  I believe that every parent (actually, every person, period!) feels inadequate and less-than-perfect at times. It is so easy to be hard on ourselves and focus on our faults and failures. Here are a few encouraging and helpful resources.     Our children learn by our examples. Ouch! Sometimes we say/do things that we don’t necessarily want them to imitate. This little music video is a fun way to remind us well as encourage them to be kind.