Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

I Don't Fit Anywhere and Everywhere

I have always said I don't "fit" in the box.

At the bank, or on taxes when you are self employed...there is never an easy box to check. 

 When you have as many kids as I do, you never fit in all the blanks, for any forms for insurance or anything of the sort,
 you always need an extra sheet of paper.

So now, I'm not only a misfit in paperwork, but in my interactions with people, I don't know how to 
"fit."

I am not a young mom, but I am a mom of young children,
 teens, 
adults
 and GRANDS.

Do I interact with the  mothers of the  grown children, teen children, young children, baby section, or the Grandparent, get out your iPhone and your readers, and show everyone the latest and greatest GRAND children section? 

Everywhere I think God has placed me and used me and is familiar to me has taken a different shape of sorts and I'm just feeling a bit out of place.  

I think most people struggle with changes and seasons and such, and I totally get that, but as my seasons change they also repeat.  It's kind of like
 wash,
 rinse,
 repeat.
A cycle that changes and sometimes repeats and then you are done and onto the next thing....but instead, for me, it's
 wash,
 add more soap,
 rinse a bit,
 add more soap,
 get it in your eyes,
add water, 
run out of hot water,
 add  some conditioner
 and then I don't know whether
 I'm washing, conditioning, rinsing or repeating 
or what the FREAK is going on.


I have been talking to the Lord about "where do I fit?"  I just feel so awkward.  I always have been, but with age most people figure out who they are and settle into that, even along the many changes and seasons of life. 
 Instead of settling into a place or a season or a rhythm, I'm a bigger misfit and more awkward than ever. 
 I'm not complaining, or feeling sorry for myself in the least, as I am so blessed and thankful by what the Lord has given me, and the roles He has placed me in, but the fact remains I'm just awkward and ill fitting in all my circles.

 I can relate to everyone and no-one. 

We did personality tests at church and I learned that I am a pretty solid introvert and I learned what that means....Introverts can  love and enjoy people very much, but they need to be recharged by themselves, this explained me so well. 
 The problem is, I am an introvert living in a household  full of peeps and those peeps mostly happen to be extroverts. 
They are running around sparking each other into a full on charge and I'm trying to hide in my room for a recharge moment and they just keep charging IN.

I have always wanted to blend in and be independent at the same time.  

I now have a family that doesn't "blend in" at all, and I LOVE it and am so very proud of my family, but it kills me about every time we walk into the public....it's hard to blend when you have so many ages and stages and colors and extroverted sparking chaos .

I can also be pretty insecure, which I have learned is just a form of pride (sigh), but it's harder to spot because it's not pride coming out in arrogance. 
 So even my pride is a bit of a contradiction and hard to
 "fit".

I was talking to the Lord about all this on my run a few days ago, and how I feel like a misfit as it is just hard to know where I fit or what I can contribute where He has me right now....and this song that I have never heard  before came on in my little ear buds,  and the Lord Jesus spoke so sweetly and clearly and timely through this song.

The Shape of Your Love by Colton Dixon

The song talks about not fitting in......but the shape of God's love is in the
 GRACE;
 it's always enough to fill the void inside.





I may not "fit", but I'm growing into the shape of HIS LOVE!!!!

4 comments:

Cody and Rachael said...

I love reading this because from an outside perspective on 'Jenay' I see a strong and confident woman, outgoing, leader, physically beautiful with a killer figure (total bomb shell ... even after enduring pregnancies!), down to earth and so warm towards everyone-which is totally what you are, yet here you share that you too, feel the same insecurities and uncomfortableness in life that other girls experience day to day. It is encouraging to us ladies that see you as role model of a woman of God, to see that we too can embrace not always feeling like we 'fit in' in different aspects or periods of our lives. We can follow your lead and just find peace in Gods grace.

Laurel said...

I am right there with you. My family and I haven't "fit" anywhere for the past 27 years (when I had my 5th child in 4 years).

Even when we could have been categorized as a "large homeschooling family", we didn't fit that mold either. We were not "conservative enough".

My youngest attends a small K-8 Christian school. All of the young moms think that I am one of the grandmas (because a lot of grandmas are involved in this little school). The moms of Elijah's classmates know that I am his mom . . . but then I show up at events with babies and toddlers and they ask, "Who is this?" They don't know quite what to say when I respond, "Oh. This is one of my 9 grandsons." "Yes. Elijah just turned 14 and he has 9 nephews."

As a grandma with grandsons living in several states across the country, I would love to be able to hop on a plane and go "be" Nana for a week. But . . . I still have 4 teenagers that keep me oh so busy doing my Mom duties. Two of my grandsons now live in our downstairs "apartment". So, when I am upstairs I am in my Mom-role . . . but then go downstairs and morph into my Nana-role. It's pretty crazy; but I do so love it!

My peers have been celebrating their empty-nests for 10 years or more. I don't know if I'll ever really have an empty-nest; and I am totally fine with that. My peers are planning their cruise ship vacations, while I hope to drive across country to see my grandsons. My peers are dreaming of retirement, while I am dreaming of what type of career I will have when my youngest heads to college in 5 years. Seriously, I know that I will need to find a full-time career job right at the time that most of my peers are retiring.

I don't think I'll ever "fit", but I know that I am right where God wants me, and that is better than "fitting in" any day! Keep doing what you are doing, because God has you in an awesome place right now. (Oh how I wish that I hadn't lost my last little one . . . the same time you were pregnant with the first of your two littles.)

Farm School Marm said...

I love this post - and I love you! (And the only thing weird about you in my book is that you actually LIKE to run!)

marlece said...

I LOVE THIS POST SO MUCH! In the end it's about the grace everywhere and to everyone. Oh man, we are one hot mess aren't we? I can so relate in a different way here. See? I get it. Sister, I get it.