Growing up, my friend's family had a huge 2x4 they used as a measuring stick. It was filled with the markings of their children's growth. This family had a large house that was always filled with people who didn't live there. If you were there enough, eventually, your name and measurement were added to the stick.
When we got married and had our first child, we were gifted with our very own 2x4 measuring stick. We have since added several years of growth. We have recently started adding our friends and other family members to the stick. It is a cool guest book of the people who we do life with.
In this time of instant and often too much information, I find that we are all using a number of measuring sticks in our lives. Some of them are obvious. Did your child get straight A+ grades and make the honor roll this year? According to Facebook, lots of kids did. Did you potty train your 18 month old in less than a week? That friend from high school did. Are you at the zoo, at a sporting event where your child is the MVP, or going out to eat again? Seems like everyone else is. Other measuring sticks we use are a little less noticeable but are still there. Are you a runner girl, a super swimmer or a mom with 5 happy stick figure kids? Did you go on several vacations to the town with the palm tree and the moon or visit the always fantastic island of flip flop fun? Seems like lots of cars have traveled that road. Then we have the measuring sticks we stand up against in our own minds. Are we good enough, thin enough, smart enough, nice enough, spiritual enough? The list goes on.
I am not saying Facebook, sticker families or vacation tags are bad in and of themselves. If I could run a marathon, I would probably be first in line to buy my sticker. It is the unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves when we fail to use the only measuring stick that matters. What is that measuring stick that matters? It is most likely different for all of us. The one that matters to me is the one God is holding up. The awesome thing about His measuring stick is that it is full of grace and love and mercy. It is being held by the lover of my soul who has a love for me deeper than I can fathom. When I forget and start measuring my worth from the bumper of a car or a post on my phone, He gently pulls me back and shows me where my focus should be.
Take a moment and look at the measuring sticks in your life. Are they healthy ones that promote growth and change or are they destructive ones that bring guilt and disappointment? Choose wisely and wave at my sticker family when you see me driving by.
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