I visited my friend in Cincinnati for the weekend. We had a wonderful time. We took our kids to the zoo. We ate massive amounts of Thai food and even splurged for our favorite hot fudge sundae’s- extra scoop of ice cream and without fail, extra (extra) hot fudge!

I mean come on, it’s not every day I see my best friend and eat foods I once took for granted. But now I live in a land far away (okay it’s not that far) but still, where I live, there is no Thai food and there is most definitely not my favorite hot fudge sundae!

The weekends with her always whiz by!

I packed my bags and tried avoiding the inevitable good-bye.

My shoes were not exactly convenient so I asked to borrow a pair of my friend’s flip-flops. You know the ones you can get from Old Navy for a dollar? Those were the ones.

I love a good pair of flip-flops and since I was just going out to the car to load up and secure the car-seat, I thought it would be easier than maneuvering into my boots.

I headed out to the car, but with each step I took, my feet hurt a little more. The shoes were perfectly molded to fit my friend’s feet. And my feet were most definitely not fitting into the mold!

I limped back into the house and slid out of the shoes quicker than I eat so as to avoid sharing food with my kids. (I know, I’m a mean mom.)

I wondered if it wouldn’t have been easier to take the time to put my own shoes on. I certainly would have been more comfortable and it may have taken less time because I wouldn’t have been wincing in pain with each flip and flop.

Isn’t it funny how life works?

We are constantly looking at the people around us, wanting what they have, envying someone else’s success, wondering why we couldn’t have been gifted with certain talents.

I find myself doing it far more frequently than I care to admit. I get caught up in the comparison game. I see what others have and I wonder why I can’t have it as well. I see other women with successful blogs or businesses and I wonder how they got there and when it will be my time.

As I walked around in my friend’s shoes, I was struck by the reality the shoe didn’t fit, because it wasn’t my shoe.

I tend to view life the same way.

Perhaps we are looking at others and wanting what they have, but truthfully it’s not meant for us. The shoe isn’t molded to fit us. We are all uniquely and beautifully designed by our Heavenly Father. He created each of us with a specific purpose. It is not for us to envy what others have or wish we had certain talents.

No, God designed you perfectly. He designed you with great intent. He designed you with purpose. It is our job to seek His will and fulfill the purpose He has laid out for us.

As women and mothers, it is crucial for us to put our comparisons aside and realize we all have one beautiful thing in common. We are daughters of the most amazing Father. He is ready to prune us and sculpt us to be the women He has called us to be.

I want to make a concerted effort to celebrate my fellow sisters in their calling. I don’t want to have envy or wish for x, y, and z talents. I want to be confident in who I am and the gifts I have been given. I want to break out of my fear zone and maximize my potential because of who He made me to be!