Series of Small Wins

 We have options when it comes to viewing our days. Now, I'll be the first to admit that some days feel like a series of major fails. It can feel like some days swallow us whole before we even get out of bed. In fact, most nights I go to bed feeling like I am a total failure. What's funny, or not funny, about it is that I may have left one or two things undone, and they seem to weigh much more than what I did get done. I'm still training myself to run through the list of everything I did get done that day, when what I missed or didn't get to tries to bite at my soul. 

It's been hard, but finally, when I start with the negative thoughts about all I missed or didn't get done, I start listing all I did get done. Even the smallest things can be huge wins. They all add up, after all. We can be our own worst critics; it's time we learn to encourage ourselves. After all, I don't know about you - but there aren't many people around trying to encourage me. Somebody's gotta do it. Lol.

When caregivers get up in the morning, there is a long-running list of things that need to be done. Typically, we are not going to get them all done every single day. There's just too much. Just go ahead and let out a long sigh. I heard recently that there is a psalm for every sigh. I'm still thinking that out, but I'm pretty sure it's true.

By bedtime, we are usually wiped out and just need some sleep. Some caregivers get full nights or a few back-to-back hours of sleep each night. Some do not. Give yourself a break - we're still on even when we're sleeping. It's the nature of caregiving.

Perspective is everything, instead of looking at a day as a total loss because this one or two thing(s) didn't get done. Look at it as a series of small wins. This is going to look different for each of us. So here are a few general wins you can put on your account today!

• You're still trusting God at the end of your day.
• Everything came from your heart and up to the throne of God today, whether through prayer, tears, or long, deep sighs.
• You are still seeking Him - still looking to Him for peace in the midst of the storm. (That's a huge win!)
• We still need Him.
• His word still resonates in our hearts, and we cling to Him and His word.

These may sound simple, but they definitely belong on our series of small wins list at the end of the day. And you know what? I'd lay money (if I were a betting woman) that tomorrow you're going to get up and trust Him for one more day!

Today, I'll train my brain to count wins instead of losses, and I refuse to measure them against each other because they are not equal. I will focus on the ways God makes me a victorious winner instead of the ways the enemy wants to count me as a loser. My meditations will be on how God never led anyone into a battle and planned on losing. We are not losing. We are winning through faith, grace, and God every single day. And I will win today by planning on trusting Him for one more day. Will you join me?

Check out one of my latest releases. (I have a new one coming next month, so stay tuned!) Peace Out! It's in the Bible is a 31-day devotional that is focused on letting God's peace reign in our hearts - no matter what. You can get the eBook from my shop at Buy Me A Coffee, or the print and Kindle versions are available in my Amazon Shop.