one-size fits all

Guilt. Those five letters can certainly reek havoc on a mama. I suppose I dealt with it in America, but it multiplied exponentially when we arrived in India. Moving to India didn’t just change my life--- it forever changed the lives of two little boys!

I knew coming here that my children would unknowingly give up so much. They gave up the right to go to a school with peers that were “like” them. They gave up the right to eat at Chick-Fil-A and make weekly stops at Toys ‘R Us. They even gave up the right to see their grandparents on a weekly or monthly and possibly a yearly basis. They didn’t choose these things. Jason and I, ultimately, made that choice. And some days I bathe myself in guilt for the “experiences” they will miss out on.

When I was in America, my vision was often clouded by the “one-size fits all” mentality. I was afraid of not keeping up with the Jones’ and getting too far from “the norm.” But then I read Isaiah 55:8: "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” (NLT) I’m realizing that there is no such thing as “one-size fits all!” God has specific, individualized, "handmade for you" plans that He's waiting to see us live out!

Certainly, my boys will still miss out on things. But in my mind, the Lord has just replaced them with things that “are far beyond anything [I] can imagine.” When I stress over the fact that they don’t get to attend class parties, I rejoice that I’m the teacher that gets to watch them grow, learn, and succeed each day. When I worry that they won’t have childhood friends, I sit back and notice that at the ages of 4 and 8, their friendship is deeper than almost any friendship I had in my school years! When I fret over the Sunday School class they miss each week, I open my Bible to find that Jesus never intended for a Sunday School teacher to guide my children—it has always been my responsibility. And tee-ball games and birthday parties have been replaced with riding camels and traveling the world. Isaiah 55:8 frees me of the world's standards and allows me to find joy in His plans!

I’m certain that I haven’t seen the last of guilt. I know it will rear its head when I least expect it, but today I rest in knowing that “my thoughts are NOTHING like His.” And though my boys aren't living the American Dream, they are living the dream that their Heavenly Father had in mind before they were even conceived!

If you could step away from the world's expectations, what would you do differently? God has a life planned for you that is just "your size!" Step out!