I’ve been staring at the brown wooden paneling in my daughter’s room for months because I’m too afraid to paint it.
I don’t know how to pick paint colors. Or spackle.
I’m not good at home decorating, or picking out tchotchkes or fabrics or frames. I don’t know how to sew.
My culinary skills are extremely limited and if I find time at 10 am to think about what we should have for dinner by 5pm I feel ahead in the menu planning game.
I can never seem to figure out how to properly blow-dry my hair. If any kind of event requires properly styled hair I try to schedule a hair appointment into the mix.
I’m usually fighting a losing battle against laundry and dishes and there are stains in my carpet I’ve given up on altogether. I don’t care how my sheets or towels are folded; I’m just happy if there are clean ones in the closet.
I don’t enjoy craft projects or reading children’s books aloud.
I have yet to figure out how to accessorize. I can’t make skinny jeans and knee high boots work as much as I try and despite how many different pairs or brands I’ve wrestled in fitting rooms.
I’m never going to remember to take a photo a day or plan a shopping trip around coupons.
There’s a soft spot under my chin where the top of my daughter’s head fits perfectly.
I know how to dance with her curled into the side of my face as I two step her to sleep.
I know that Jackson is ticklish on his thighs and that special spot where his freckle stands out against his neck. The angrier Micah is the more I know to hold and love him. I know how to pat Jack’s head just so to help him fall asleep at night and which stuffed animals Micah needs in his bed.
I can tell by Zoe’s cry whether she needs her pacifier, a bottle or me.
After fifteen years I can still make Peter laugh like nobody else can.
I know how to turn anything into a story that will hold my kids wide-eyed in anticipation. I can growl and wrestle and pounce like an African lioness and turn my children into devoted cubs even on the worst of days.
Give me a hotdog and half a slice of bread and I can give you a tasty toasted snack to make even my pickiest eater happy.
I am good at giving encouragement. I know the right words for lifting the tired spirits of new moms. I make a champion ice cream and strawberry sundae. I am the chaser away of bad dreams and singer of nonsense songs.
I have taught my children how to dance in the rain. Literally.
I can work through the chaos of ninjas and drums and a kitchen table piled high with leftover everything. Words come to me while I do dishes and writing them down never leaves me empty.
I sing off key and usually with the wrong lyrics, but it has never stopped me.
I have learned how to cheer women on rather than be threatened by their success and I will teach my daughter how to do the same.
I know Jesus loves me and has built gifts into me that serve Him and fill me up with joy in the process. I am slowly learning contentment in the size of my house, the shape of my thighs, and the end of my days.
I stop to celebrate sunsets.
I am good at these things.
Your turn – go ahead, let’s share what we’re good at, for a change.
::
Amen! We need to celebrate all that makes each of us unique. Each of us is gifted in areas where we can pick up the slack for someone else, and vice versa. That is community!!!
Thank you so much for your thoughts and your honesty! I frequently compare myself to others and look at all the things that I can’t do. This was a great reminder that God made me exactly as He wanted me, to be thankful for the gifts that He has given me, and to rejoice that my friends have so many unique and wonderful gifts that He has given them.
May your day be blessed!
You have no idea what good it does my heart to read this! It’s so easy for me, especially around the blogosphere, to get sucked into the “I suck because I’m not like that” mindset. You could’ve very easily have been writing this post about me, so similar are the things you listed, in both halves! To quote one of my favorite movies ever, “I fully believe, and have for some time now, that we could be best friends. So…,what do you think?” ;)
I LOVE Notting Hill :)
I rest my case. ;)
Loved this post! I too am all too good at focus at what I can’t do, what I’m not….
Things I’m good at? Reading stories, cooking hearty meals, listening, writing letters and making small boys laugh and learn. :)
right there with you on the house keeping and crafts! BUT
i can handle a room full of 12 and 13-year olds. i can make them hang on every word of a story. i can make them gasp at the injustice of a dictator. i can guide them to remember that africa has 55 countries now and they know which one is the new one. i can make them chomp at the bit to write a letter to a lost boy of sudan or a rwandan genocide survivor. i can lead them to want to send $1600 to a world relief agency for clean water. i can make them laugh. i can help them care. i. can. teach. right here in room 712.
Wishing my boys were in your class today!
Lisa Jo …what a beautiful post, said like only you can say it. Thank you for the reminder that we are so much more than we think we are…and all because of what God has done in us.
oh, how I loved this post! One short not-good/good-at piece of me is…while I’m not the most exciting, lively, out-going person at the party, I’m a great listener/counselor and I care. I’m willing to sit in the corner and help the one person who hasn’t got it all together while the rest of the place is rocking it out. I always felt that made me weird. Maybe not. Thanks…
No way – that makes you uniquely gifted – and thank you for using that gift to bless those who might otherwise go overlooked.
I am good at encouraging and looking for the right words for the right time or person. I am good at listening and perhaps I am creative but not that much. Don’t bake or cook much. Just a simple down home stay at home semi retired kind of a blogger person.
Thank you for this great BLOG! I too have many similatiries. It’s nice to hear that we don’t all have to be good at the traditional stuff, but really it’s the stuff that matters, time and energy we give out to others, that also GIVE BACK to us. Being a mom has given me so many rewards as well as challenges.
Tara
Today I have been writing about focusing on what we are good at. Working on those things to be better, celebrating who we are, being authentic versions of ourselves, who know our limitations. We do what we do well, and we know when to stop, and hand it over to someone else. I would much rather be a brilliant version of me, the best I can be. As opposed to halfhearted versions of others who doing everything with mordacity.
Great post Lisa-Jo, thank you.
I’m sitting here, my last three weeks of maternity leave after having my first baby, staring at a to-do list that has my mind frazzled, a sink of dishes, clutter in every corner, and I read your words that encourage me that this time with her is more important, that God doesn’t have me home to just clean my house…His purpose for me right this moment is to love and get to know my daughter. Thanks for that reminder :) absolutely blessed by your blog…
It feels ‘wrong’ to talk about what I might be good at…how conditioned I am to mommy-guilt! Thank you for this encouragement/challenge. I so struggle with what I can’t do or didn’t do right or forgot-altogether-that-I-was-supposed-to-do. But, I can cook a meal that pleases the whole family, I can make up silly rhymes that diffuse bad attitudes, I can listen without responding, and I can teach my children. All by His grace!
Pinned this! You rock, Lisa-Jo. You are such an encourager.
Thank you so much for this post! You have no idea how much I needed to read this today. I was just beating myself up last night and this morning because of all the things I’m not good at. But, now I’ll focus on what I am good at… listening, caring for friends, helping my parents/in-laws, having a good relationship with my almost grown kids, loving my husband, making yummy desserts, … and I’ll try to keep adding to that list today. Thanks again!
Loved this post! Then again… finding a post of yours that I didn’t like would be the equivalent of searching for a needle in a haystack. :)
I’m told that I’m good at ‘drawing people out’ and getting them to talk, and – over the years – I have discovered that I am really good at reading facial cues….. when someone tells me how great they’re doing, I immediately notice if their eyes match their words or not. It makes for interesting conversations and presents opportunities to encourage another.
I’m good at baking….. I learned to enjoy it, mainly because I like baked goods, and I really like comfort of knowing exactly what goes into the baked goodies I consume. :D
Beautifully written. It is so important that we acknowledge our own (and our children’s) strengths rather than spend too much time focusing on weaknesses.
What a wonderful list that overflows with encouragement! We can just never hear it enough.
I am with you on having difficulty on that choosing color schemes thing. I am very good at deferring to my adult daughters for help in that department!
I am pretty good at prep and painting. Just FYI, didn’t used to be until we helped run the family b&b, and had to paint a gazillion rooms. ;-0
I’m great at connecting moms with resources and information to help make their relationships stronger and more satisfying, and love helping them towards their goals.
If I lived close you, I would come right over with my stuff and help prep your darling daughter’s room for colors that would reflect her bubbly personality and the joy she brings.
Ok, I am gonna DO this!
I am good at reading 5 books at one time and learning from them all.
I am good at keeping the chaos in a home of 7 at a level that is acceptable for my friends to come over unannounced and me not panic.
I am good at realizing when people need a hug and giving it to them, strong and tight.
I am good at keeping us clothed and the house decorated from yard sales and thrift stores. Thank goodness for shabby chic style!
I am good at writing in the journals I have kept for 20 years, full of prayera, pleas, progress and pleasures.
I am good at saying “thank you” for the heart ramblings of the Gypsy Mama, words I look forward to and cling to. I think we would be friends!
What a great post! I have several friends who won’t read blogs b/c they make them feel less than what they are! This is what they need to read, and I will send them your way. I am going to blog about this and link to you!
Thanks for such an important reminder. God just calls us to be who He created each of us to be! But that is so easy to forget.
Love this!
I’m good at seeing the big picture. I’m good at not giving up. I’m good at holding on tight and loving fiercely. And it turns out that I’m pretty good at throwing sheep and catching chickens.
I love you, Lisa-Jo, all of you. Thanks for helping us be Velveteen (I almost wrote Velveeta) real. I’m right there with you in encouraging women–I think that’s a gift God’s placed in my heart.
OH I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post. I think we must be kindred, the only one on the list I love that you don’t is the reading aloud. My husband is the cook in our family, I do project life scrapbooking (but NOT on the daily basis) and not in any creative way! God didn’t make us all the same, just imagine if HE did, life would be so boring. We would all be walking around like clones. God is so much more creative then that! Thanks for the wonderful reminder! Loved meeting you at Relevant!
Angela
Hahahahaha! I just have to laugh at the number of comments posted that already say exactly what I thought when I read this: “Amen” “We must be kindred spirits” “This is exactly what I needed to read” “I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post”
Thank you for being real–the blogosphere tends to lend itself to only seeing through a blog darkly, but the reality is we all have things we are not good at…and then there is the other side.
I am good at making people laugh
I am often insensitive and speak my mind
I am good with kids…I happen to like them
I am often bossy and try to “parent” other peoples children…whether they want me to or not.
I really do not like housework
I am good at the Aunt Edna house cleaning method~in 15 minutes or less pick up as many items and put them away as you can while someone follows behind with vacuum, broom, mop or dust rag.
I tend to speak my mind…not sure under which category this falls~things I’m good at…or the other! :)
Well, there are a few.
Have a great day
Keep up the God work
Such a wonderful post, such encouragement.
I’m good at getting things done(at the last minute), baking cookies, making my babies laugh, knowing the hearts of my babies even when they wish I didn’t, hearing what people say and seeing them- the real them, not the words. I’m good at sticking with things, giving up is the very last option, if then. I’m good at being a Mama and loving my man.
You are good at this blog…I love reading it! :)
Wonderful reminder! I have been blogging about “Being Me” and this fits perfectly! I’m going to link up to you in my next post, thanks for the inspiration.
It’s a wonderful mix of gratitude and acceptance, beautiful message for this morning!
Oh that top list… I’m in every item you listed. And the bottom list… What an amazing woman and Mama you are. Thank you for reminding me to spend more time focusing on that second list than I do stewing on the first…. I wish we could all go out for coffee and cheer each other on.
thank you for giving me a “writing prompt” for my Top Ten Tuesday post!!
LOVE all of this!
And then, sometimes you can get help from people who are wonderful at picking colors, who live to paint and fold clothes and organize.
P.S.- Did I ever tell you that I designed and painted a room in my aunt’s home? It was much fun.
Oh how I LOVED to read this today. Thank YOU for being real and transparent with us. It’s always so comforting to know that we do not walk this road alone….. HE is always beside us and HE brings those girlfriends alongside us too…. just to do life. I struggle a bit with some insecurities but I am beginning to see the me that God has created…. broken and beautiful all weaved into one. And, it’s hard for me to give myself credit…. because, all glory to HIM alone…. but, there are things that I am good at. And I know that there is only one me…. and HE created me to do things that HE didn’t create others to do…. that is why we are all unique… so I rejoice in HIS majesty! I am a good story weaver…. I believe that God has blessed me with the gift of words, that I might share with others. I love to praise HIM in song…. and HE gave me a voice to accomplish that. He has blessed me with 3 beautiful children that I LOVE to love on….. and my blessings overflow when they love me back. And, when I think on this more…. I think of all the things that I am good at because HE says I can do all things through HIM….. Blessings today my friend!
Making my daughter smile
Responding to my husband’s love language
Respecting all people
Reading encouraging blogs like yours :)
Counting the gifts God has given us
Living life slowly
Needed this today – thanks for sharing your heart!! I may have to copy your idea! (And credit it, of course!) ;)
“I have learned how to cheer women on rather than be threatened by their success and I will teach my daughter how to do the same.” Beautiful.
Encouraging others. It makes me happy.
Lisa-jo, I’d come over and paint your house any day. I’ll even help pick colors! (I LOVE painting)
I’m good at…
*listening – really hearing what people have to say
*giving hugs
*finding lost items in my house. Seriously – hubby will ask if I saw his watch, or keys, or wallet. Without hesitation, it’s “Yeah, it’s on the shelf by the fireplace”, or “You put it in the closet in the kids’ bathroom”. And if it’s more lost than that, I can usually find it within three days. (Although one item, a ball, took me a year to find! It was in the attic.)
*cheering on my kids
*embarrassing said kids =)
Oh, this is good stuff! Great challenge for us!
I can pull things out of books that will make high schoolers really think.
I can grade, read, teach, answer emails, type agendas, and answer questions all at the same time, and I can always pick up right where I left off! (Truly, a miracle…)
I can make chocolate chip cookies that make my cookie-loving hubby grin from ear to ear.
I can take beautiful photographs.
I can write.
I am a really good listener/encourager.
I am completely loyal.
Love this! Thank you for being who you are. I continue to be blessed by your words and encouraged to continue being who God is making me to be! Thank you for writing and for celebrating women- discovering that this is what I am passionate about as well. That and loving my family to the fullest!
O.k…I’m good at crying, especially now…so touched. I could give you the laundry list of what I’m NOT good at while wanting to be good at what everyone else in the room is good at…forget that I can whip out a thank you note in a way that feels like breathing–no big deal, really–but for some reason people are shocked that I write them often (instead, I wish I could write a book and not need breaks from my kids). I can pull up a quote for most occasions/situations…have an ongoing Word document HUNDREDS of pages long where I have collected these treasured words (some being yours, Lisa-Jo). I can read to my kids for hours, even soldiering through the head jerks…it’s the only time I get my ADHD twin boys to sit still other than when they are asleep, and I really do enjoy them in stillness (and hate my crabby self when the chaos takes over). I started piano with them (mainly to keep them going and make sure the teacher didn’t fire us) and am now taking it on my own for the first time in my life–at 50 (I’m always the oldest mom in my boys’ class). I can finagle most “me, me” holidays into a bigger picture event for my boys. I can make good salad dressing–no recipe (but it’ll never be the same the next time). I’m good at calling to check up on people or just writing a quick note…they’re on my heart a lot. I’m still good at crying…thank you for your words of life!
Girl, you rock it! You bring Light into our dark. You remind us that story is for purpose. And, you’ve changed my life. Just knowing you has helped me to See Him more. Truly.
I appreciate you.
And me…I pay attention to the strong intuition He gives me…I can read people’s thoughts and emotions…I encourage well…I know when my Boy is about to lose it, before he actually loses it…I might be a *reactor* but I know how to problem solve quickly…
Cheers to the *More* of our story than what we see.
Lets link up and read what everyone is bad at. It is so encouraging! I am impatient and I procrastinate. I can get caught up in gossip. But every night I crawl into my daughters’ beds and listen to them and giggle with them for at least 15 minutes.
I am a terrible worrier, I’m a bit fatter than I used to be and I can’t make bread like my husband can. But I can draw, take great photos, string a few words together, and I always seem to be the one they want first when my kids are sick, so that must tell me something.
What is more important – being able to candidly admit our shortcomings? Or being able to realize that we are loveable and worthy?
I think there is value in both, and you showed this so eloquently. Thank you.
A beautiful prompt for my sink full of dishes~thank you for sharing!
“I am slowly learning contentment in the size of my house, the shape of my thighs, and the end of my days.” I love this. Beautiful post. Thank you for sharing. I posted it to my Mothers of Preschoolers group’s facebook page.
-I know how to comfort my son when he cries.
-I am empathetic and sensitive to others.
-I can find wisdom for my own life in the books I read to my children.
-I know just where to kiss my husband.
What an encouraging post, Lisa-Jo! Thank you! I would like to add a shout-out for those of us who have people in our lives who are constantly telling us what is wrong with us (even if it isn’t)…God gave me a literal word picture today…a “KEEP OUT” sign at a community garden.
Now to answer your question @ what I am good at: listening attentively to my friends, and sometimes God; cheering on my family & friends; praying for people when I say I will pray for them.
Wow… this is one I am going to re-read and ponder a bit more. I feel this deep… So real and yet so tender.
Thank you for this… it is my first time reading on your blog… I will be back :)
Thanks so much for this post, Lisa-Jo. It encouraged my heart. As a disabled wife and mom there is so much that I cannot do. I can’t cook, clean the house, go shopping, or do laundry. None of those practical things. But here are some things that I can do:
I can listen to my husband, talk with him, and encourage him.
I can snuggle my children.
I can watch a movie with them.
I can comfort my daughter when she is sick like no one else can.
I can sing a lullaby.
I can teach my children about compassion and empathy for others who are suffering.
I can blog.
I can pray for others.
Ah! Finally! Somebody admits they don’t like craft projects. Thank you. I detest doing crafts myself, and everywhere I turn, somebody is displaying their glorious and unattainable homemade works. (This is why I can’t do Pinterest. It makes me feel like a loser homemaker.) BUT, I can pack lunches like nobody’s business. I can still soothe my upset kids, even though they’re school-aged now. I can clip their little fingernails. I can talk to them about God. And I can be comfortable in my own skin. Thanks for this post.
Friend, this is just what I needed to hear. We are so much more than our failures and so much more than what we cannot do. Powerful, powerful stuff here. Thank you!
Beautiful post by a beautiful woman. When I get around to writing about my “good”, I’ll link back to you. :)
Love this!! Thanks for helping us all to remember that “the things that we are not good at – do not define us”.
Hi. I’ve been subscribed to your blog for a long time now and am pretty sure I’ve never commented. You encourage me often. Thank you! This post uniquely spoke to me as I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with failure. After reading this post I pondered writing one myself and finally did it tonight. Thanks for your blog. :) It brightens my day.
My post can be found here if your interested: http://mrs.lenflack.com/?p=398
I searched “tired” and this is what I read, and just what my soul needed.
Thank you.