Compare this!

I've posted before about my bad habit of comparing myself to others.  It's a horrible habit that I'm happy to break. It's just that it's taking me longer to break it than I'd like...

But, I know that I'm a child of God.  God loves me and gives me life every single day because I'm someone who will better the world in His name.  Me!  Just little ole me.  Just like you, I was created on purpose, for a purpose, and I should purposefully remember that whenever I think I just don't measure up to the wonderful, talented people around me.

But it's so hard!  Much of the peer interactions I get during the regular work week happen on-line through facebook, twitter, blog-reading, and different childcare-related discussion forums.  Through these resources, I meet a lot of people who are similar to myself.  Whether it's through posts about running, childcare, parenting, budgeting, Bible studying, church going, non-profiting, etc. etc. etc., there are lots of folks out there who are just like me in one way or another!  What an awesome, resourceful network I have created with the on-line community. I'm blessed to have such folks enrich my life daily.

And still, I don't (feel like I)  measure up!

I have blog friends who have mad crafting skills.  Just this morning, when I cracked open my feed reader and enjoyed the musings of bloggers over my first cup of tea I found three new posts about the handmade gifts that were created for loved ones this year. You won't find any posts like that here, quite unfortunately.

I also have blog/FB friends who are accomplished runners.  Like, real running runners - people who actually love the exercise that running is.  I wanna be like that! (Still! The desire is still there!)

I have friends/acquaintances who are super frugal/thrifty shoppers. Who post about their awesome grocery or department store finds.  Many talk about the bang for the buck thanks to their mad couponing skills.  I want to be that person. Really, I do!  But, try as I might - couponing is just not a hobby of mine. Certainly not something that I enjoy (by any stretch of the imagination!).

I "know" people who do awesome things with their kids. They write stories and post pictures about the fun things they do with their very own kids!  Things that I can't dream up on my own - as much as I want to.  Everything I do with my kids is someone else's idea - again, I know how blessed I am to have such a fruitful network here with this on-line community at my fingertips!

I have twitter and facebook friends who point out moving, inspirational, true wonderful quotes from books or from the Bible that just bring me to a new place in my thoughts, sometimes my life, even.  Some of the relevant scripture quotes touch me in such a way that I find myself jealous that I hadn't thought of the relevancy of that before! 

I could go on and on and on and on...   but I'll stop now.
I must remember that I, too, am valuable. I'm admired and adored and looked to with inspired eyes and minds.

I'm just not sure why!

Thank you - to all of you who are at my fingertips. Without you, well - I'd be completely and totally LOST!