As summer is winding down, I find myself trying to fit fifteen gallons of water in a ten gallon bucket.? Isn’t it totally realistic for me to think I can schedule everyone’s doctor appointments, host company, read five books, make plans for work, AND completely declutter / prep for a yard sale before school starts? ✅ Oh, and I have to do the back-to-school shopping, so I am going to go ahead and pare that list way back.
Is there any hope in the hustle? In Anna’s post, Why My Self Control Wasn’t Enough she dives into wisdom from John Piper and Chris Pratt on how to handle the urge to control and manage our lives.
Rather than listing and going into turbo mode as we head into August, I am going to challenge myself to continue to accept GRACE over my perfectionism and self-control. Rather than trying to power through all the expectations (keep the house, prepare my son for school, maintain fitness goals, be all-around awesome at all times), I can try to apply John Piper’s method Anna wrote about in her post. We can find hope in the hustle when we pause to accept grace.☕️♥️ But how?
Piper’s practical method called A.P.T.A.T. (“App-tat”) is a tool we might all be able to use as we brave back-to-school month. ?? Admitting who I am is an important first step (cue Lauren Daigle’s “You Say”). When I focus more on my identity rather than my roles, I find myself less worried about letting others’ down, because I am leading from a place of authenticity as me rather than the role itself. What if we let go of the airbrushed idea of Mom, Wife, Christian, Work Title, Friend??? Like Anna, I get steps Pray and Act, but there is so much more grace I am missing when I forget to Admit my identity before I pray. When I get the A step, I do find I can Trust a little easier before I jump into Action. I pray I can hang onto this promise from God during August: “Surely Your goodness and mercy will follow me ? all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6, NKJV). Where do you struggle in the A.P.T.A.T. cycle? Do you find it hard to Admit, or are you stuck on Action? Let us know in the comments so we can pray with you, Mamas.
☺️Jo
Related Resources:
- Stedman Graham’s Podcast conversation with Jen Hatmaker on Identity Leadership
- Jo’s favorite song of the summer (may help calm car chaos): “Symphony” by Switch
- Need a calming lotion? Aveeno Stress Relief and/or Farmhouse Fresh body lotion