I guess every family has running jokes.

Right now, in my family, I am the running joke – or more accurately, my inability to maintain a proper butter supply. Let me explain.

One night, Momma and Daddy came over for supper and I needed butter for whatever and didn’t have any. Momma sent Daddy home for some and said, “Oh, I always have butter. I buy it in bulk at Sam’s.”

A few weeks later, my friend Laura stopped by while I was cooking. I went to the fridge and low and behold, I was out of butter again. When I said, “Dang it, I’m out of butter again.” Laura pipped up and, as always, tried to be helpful by saying, “I can have Ashley run you some over. I buy butter in bulk at Sam’s.”

I opted to send Taylor to the store to buy some.

Several weeks later, while my cousin Jennifer was eating her baked potato lunch, I commented that I had planned to do potatoes one day that week but had been out of butter. Guess what she said. Wait for it….

“I almost never run out of butter. I buy it in bulk at Sam’s.”

I didn’t say anything because really if all of these women have their lives together and don’t run out of butter, I must be the problem here.

It wasn’t until my family was planning meals for a weekend getaway that I let my insecurity run out of my mouth.

It was truly my whole family. Mom, Dad, brother, sis-in-law – all of us – when the conversation turned to breakfast, Momma said, “Oh I’ll bring the butter. I buy it in bulk at Sam’s.”

I kind of snapped. I think I actually said, “Well kiss my a**! Does everyone in the free world buy their butter in bulk at Sam’s?!?”

They all looked at me like I was crazy.

They all knew I tickled about something, so I proceeded to explain to the whole group how no less than 3 women had tried to enlighten me on the merits of bulk butter purchasing. They all laughed and now anytime someone is looking for something at Momma’s someone else will say, “of course she has some, she buys it in bulk at Sam’s”. Then they all laugh. Momma bought me a package of butter from Sam’s.

So, my failure has become a total delight to all…you are all welcome.

What is my point in all of that? We don’t all have to be good at the same thing.

There are things I am very good at. I am good at stringing words together. I am (usually) good at finding the right thing to say to people. If an animal is orphaned and needs a momma, I’m your girl. I rarely run out of coffee even though I don’t buy it in bulk at Sam’s. I am good at seeing both sides of almost any situation. I am not a perfect mom, but I am a good mom and most of the time, I am a really good wife. I am a good daughter and I believe I am a good sister.

I was seriously beating myself up and questioning if I was truly a failure because I couldn’t keep up with the butter usage and purchase. I mean really, how hard should this be? Really.

But then I thought – REALLY? It is just butter. Look at all the things I am doing and can do well!

We all have that “thing” that makes us feel like a failure.

I’m here to tell you to in my best Elsa voice “LET IT GO!”

• Don’t let your mind and the voice of the accuser make small failures into big failures. That guy comes to kill, steal and destroy. If he can make you feel “less than” and steal your joy, he will.
• Accept that you can’t be great at everything but do what you do well and OWN that you are good at it!
• Don’t compare yourself to others. Part of why I don’t buy in bulk at Sam’s is because when we first married and I had a grocery budget of $40 for two weeks, a $20 bag of chicken wasn’t a great choice so I never got in the habit of shopping there and I am a creature of habit. Shopping at Sam’s works for them. It won’t work for me but keeping a running list of things I run out of might help.
• Be able to laugh at yourself. I have now joked about how I should be buying everything from post it notes to panties in bulk at Sam’s.

My prayer for today:

Lord, help me to recognize what I am good at. Help me to be thankful for for those gifts whatever they may be. Help me to really look at myself and ask you to help me see areas where I do need to grow and do better and to recognize your truth from the world’s lies. When another person is struggling, help me Lord to see it and to remind them of the things they are great at. Amen 

Be blessed.

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