It’s not easy feeling worthy when the basket of laundry is still sitting on the floor waiting to be folded after not moving from the same spot for 3 days.
It’s not easy feeling worthy with even more laundry piling up in the dirty clothes bin every day.
It’s not easy feeling worthy when all the kids are crying and you feel like you’re failing them.
It’s not easy feeling worthy when the house is messy and you can’t keep up with the chores.
It’s not easy feeling worthy when you’re postpartum and don’t feel “normal” yet.
It’s not easy feeling worthy when you go to bed tired only to wake up tired.
It’s not easy feeling worthy when you don’t take the time to take care of yourself.
I start to feel worthy when…
I look at the cross. Jesus died for me. He died for you. He died for everyone because He loves us.
If He makes such a sacrifice for us out of love, doesn’t that make us worthy of love?
God created us from His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27). Not because He had to, but because he WANTED to. Doesn’t it make sense that He would want His creation to feel that love everyday?
Feeling worthy of love is another way of glorifying God every day. It is understanding that He made us and gave us the gift of life! Shouldn’t we treat ourselves kindly? Aren’t we worthy of showing ourselves some grace?
You are worthy of grace…
When you can’t keep up with the house chores. God can see that you’re trying. And usually, you’re falling behind because you are too busy taking care of your needs or your family’s needs.
When you have a bad day! Part of being human is making mistakes. Today was a stressful day for me. I did not do my best parenting today. I got stressed. I snapped at the kids. I was not kind. But, I am still worthy of grace. Grace to know that even though today was not my best, I am still going to bed loved by God, and get a fresh start tomorrow.
When you feel like you’re failing. Life is hard! It was not meant to be easy. If we give ourselves the grace we need to get through difficult times, it will be so much easier on our mental health. We are worthy of grace during the stressful times, and also can offer up our struggles and use them as a chance to get closer to God as we are carrying our cross.
When you are adjusting to a big life change, like having a baby, experiencing loss in the family, or moving to a new house. I have written about my experiences with postpartum life, and have experienced my fair share of moves. I lost both my grandparents. All of these moments are big changes in life, and you are worthy of having a grace period to process and grieve the past.
You are worthy of…
Feeling good about yourself! Use your God given talents and feel confident in them and use them to glorify Him!
Taking time for YOU. Whether it is taking a shower, reading a book, writing, going out solo, etc.
Getting dressed up even if you’re staying at home.
Taking care of the body God gave you by getting fresh air, movement, and good nutrition in.
Respect! Respect for you as a person and your boundaries.
Peace.
Getting help when you need it.
Being loved for the beautiful person that you are.
I acknowledge my worth by:
Taking a shower every morning and putting on makeup.
Getting a workout or two in 5 days a week.
Dressing up even though I am staying home, including wearing lipstick, and jewelry.
Wearing my “worthy” necklace from “The Little Catholic” as a reminder anytime I see it.
Going to therapy and taking medication for PPD/PPA.
Making date nights with my husband a priority; with our family life, it doesn’t happen often but when we get the chance we take it!
Praying the Rosary daily when I can.
Writing my blog- something that is a passion for me and also can be therapeutic for me .
Prioritizing my health so I can take care of the kids and give them my best- if I feel myself getting stressed and overwhelmed, I try to plug in my noise reduction headphones and remember to take deep breaths. This is still a work in progress!
Ways I can improve acknowledging my worth:
Getting to bed earlier- I have a bad habit of staying up later now because it is my kid free time and I don’t want to waste any of it. But I end up getting too tired, and not getting up early enough the next morning. We are all worthy of rest!
Letting go- I can be a perfectionist. I want the house clean, I need my routine. But it’s been hard for me to catch up and I feel stressed when I feel like I am falling behind. I am worthy of grace and worthy of letting go of some of my to-do list. If I’m doing my best and taking care of my kids, then I’m doing my job.
Stop worrying about everyone else’s opinions when the only one that matters is God’s.
Remembering that I am worthy of forgiveness, and of peace for my heart and soul.
I am worthy because of God’s love for me. So, I am also worthy of quiet time alone with Him in prayer, and often I keep my schedule so busy that it gets pushed off the list.
I am worthy of feeling capable, strong, healthy, and beautiful. So often I look at my postpartum body and wish I could fit into clothes from my prebaby days. I think that I’ll feel so much happier when my body size is smaller, or the bags under my eyes are gone. But God saw me and knew that I was worthy of so much more! He knew I was worthy of having a family, being a mom to 4 wonderful kids, and gave me that gift. And what a wonderful gift it is!
I am writing about this because:
Of the “worthy of wearing” movement by Nicole M. Caruso. She started this movement as a way to encourage all of us of our worth! Why should I only wear sweat pants and not do my hair because I stay at home? God made me who I am. He made me a woman and wants me to embrace that femininity and show pride in his creation.
This movement has helped me so much. I have had body image issues in the past (and postpartum now I still experience them today). But this movement has helped me to start taking care of myself and understand my worth. I don’t have to hide my body in leggings and a baggy shirt. I shouldn’t cringe anytime I see a picture of myself. I can wear a pretty top, necklace, and more recently, lipstick at home.
It’s also rubbing off on my kids! They have noticed my necklaces and lipstick and asked to wear some (of course, I said yes!). Wearing what makes me feel beautiful and confident helps me feel that way and get through my day. I used to just wear workout pants and a t-shirt with a sweatshirt and my hair in a messy bun. I was going to workout anyways, plus it means less laundry! But now, most days, I make a point to actually get dressed in other clothes at the beginning of the day, and then change when I do my workout, and make sure to change back into my clothes after I workout.
I will add though, that you are also worthy of comfort! Especially in transition times like postpartum! I still have days where I choose to be comfortable over stylish, because that’s what I need for that day.
How are you embracing the “worthy of wearing” movement? What do you do every day to remind yourself that you are worthy?
