A few weeks ago some very sweet friends of ours took us apple picking at their family-owned orchard.
After helping us pick, they sent all the apples home with us!
Since I had such an abundance of apples, I was looking forward to preserving them in a variety of ways.
I made 7 pints of apple butter one day for the freezer, and then I set aside the following Saturday to do some canning.
My two older daughters joined me in the kitchen, and we had a fun time cutting apples and just being together.
We started the dehydrator and filled it with apple slices while the stock pot filled with apples cooking for applesauce. I also made apple juice in preparation for apple jelly.
I was pretty weary by the end of the day, and I also got a second-degree burn on my forearm in the process, but it was so worth it when I admired my five beautiful quarts of homemade (sugar free) applesauce. I felt exhausted but happy with all I had accomplished. It seemed like a good days’ work.
After the rest of the family had gone to bed, I dropped wearily into my husband’s desk chair to catch up with my email and Facebook for the first time that day. I typed in a new status on Facebook: “I spent all day in the kitchen! I canned 5 quarts of applesauce, dehydrated some apples, and made apple juice for some apple jelly. Now I’m totally ready for bed!”
Then I scrolled down a bit and saw my friend’s status: “Canned 36 quarts of applesauce, 10 quarts of beans, and 10 quarts of [something else I can’t remember!].” I was impressed. And then I started thinking, How is that even possible?! I had filled up my biggest available stock pot with apples and the process took me all day!
The happy feeling I had been enjoying began to fade in the shadow of my friend’s much greater accomplishment.
I scrolled down a bit farther and saw a lady on the Trim Healthy Mama Facebook page posting a testimonial: “Reached my goal weight!” And I’m still 15 stubborn pounds away from my goal weight.
Then another friend’s status about the awesome date she recently had with her husband, accompanied by a gorgeous photo of the two of them.
I felt like a loser. I hadn’t accomplished as much as these ladies. Somehow, in reading about their lives and comparing myself to them, I started feeling sorry for myself.
I forgot to be thankful.
In comparing myself to others, I realized that I was sinning and not being thankful for what I have been given.
Such as the ability to can 5 quarts of applesauce, for a memorable time in the kitchen with my daughters, the FREE organic apples our friends blessed us with, and for so many other blessings.
When we compare ourselves with others, we can’t be thankful for what we’ve been given, because we’re looking at them and ourselves instead of at Christ and all of His goodness to us.
When I repented of the sins of ungratefulness and envy, I was able once again to enjoy the blessings that are part of my own life.
I think it’s so easy to fall into the comparison trap. Especially as we read blogs and interact through other social media. But we need to remember that we each have our own life circumstances. Our own blessings and difficulties.
And we each have so much to be thankful for, even if our blessings look totally different than someone else’s.
Do you ever fall into the trap of comparing yourself with others?
Thankyou so much for sharing this! I really needed to hear it! I so often feel like such a failure when I cannot do things as well as others. But in it all It's wonderful to know that we are still spending precious time with our children! Have a beautiful day!
Thank you for commenting, Jennifer! You're right, it's the time with our children that really matters. ♥
Hi Joy, what a wonderful post. I'm sat here not being saddened by all your hard work, but insired and sughing wistfully. I only recently became a SAHM and full time homemaker and as I'm learning all the other skills needed this seems like a distant dream! My Little One is not even two yet, just think when she's older I may be spending a day like this with her!! What a lovely thought. You just know that this day is something your daughters will look back on in the future with fondness.
God bless
mrsdbliss.blogspot.com
What a sweet comment, Andrea! After getting a second-degree burn this time, I was tempted to give up canning altogether, but it is so fun to see the results of your hard work lined up on the pantry shelves, waiting for winter. 🙂 Yes, look at all you have to look forward to with your little one!
Many blessings to you and your family!
Came across your blog while on another one…….music to my heart. It is that time of year to preserve the apples for the winter. I would love to have you to link up at my weekly Clever Chicks Blog Hop: https://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/10/clever-chicks-blog-hop-56-with-ruby.html
I hope you can make it!
Cheers,
Kathy Shea Mormino
The Chicken Chick
https://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com
Thanks for visiting, Kathy, and thanks for the invitation!
This can happen so easily! Thanks for sharing this…. 🙂 We so often forget to be thankful and that is the key…. good reminder! We are all so blessed and we only get a peek into others lives through this social media and we forget that. You are a blessing to me and I'm thankful to have gotten to know you a bit through your blog. God bless you!!
It's been such a blessing getting to know you, too, Tanya! Many blessings to you! ♥
I like how you said, "I forgot to be thankful". So true. I've found that the older I get that I'm slowly paying less attention to comparing and try to rejoice with my sister's accomplishment. I think Satan tries to steal our joy by what God puts in front of us to do. The key for me is remembering to be thankful!
You're so right about the key being thankfulness! I love how you said you're trying to rejoice in the accomplishments of others–what a great goal for us all to aspire to! That really inspired me, Jennifer, thank you!