{Day 15} Who are you surrounded by?

Yesterday I talked about many of my failures as a Mom and what I began to pray and read in my quest to become a positive Mom. Today I want to focus on the people you surround yourself with.

I’m sure it’s no big surprise that we tend to choose friends who are similar to us. We may share similar personalities, hobbies or taste. I’ve often laughed at times when I’ve realized that my friend Sarah in North Carolina and I both have the same exact flip flops from Target – even though we don’t live near each other, or see each other often, we often choose the same things. Another example happened this year when I met a new friend and was thrilled to learn that she too was a homeschool Mom. We also found out that we both enjoyed scrapbooking and then I laughed in delight when looking through her scrapbooks when I saw that she had used a lot of the same papers and stickers that I had in my albums! I like to joke that ‘great minds think alike’, but honestly I just think it’s neat how we are drawn to friends who are just like us.

In our quest to become JOYful Moms and wives, it’s important to surround ourselves with other women who are positive and joyful too.

If we surround ourselves with women who constantly bash their husbands, it’s so easy to begin thinking negatively about our own husband. If we hang out with Moms who are always complaining about their kids, we will start doing the same about our kids. It’s just a fact of life, we become the kind of people that we hang around.

I’m not saying that we have to be exclusive though. I’m not suggesting that we can’t be friends with non-Christians, or women who are different than us. God can use us in mighty ways to influence others around us and we must be open to those opportunities. But in general, keep company with other women who share your love for the Lord and your passion for being a joyful wife and Mom.

Today’s challenge is:

Take some time to think about your friends. If it helps, make a list. You could group them as best friends, close friends and acquaintances. Now try to think about the personalities of these women. Are they building you up and encouraging you in your quest to be joyful? Are they dragging you down? And how about you – are YOU the kind of friend who encourages others? Maybe you could ask your friends, “what could I do to be a better friend to you?” Pray for your friends. Pray that they would know the Lord and would grow in their faith. Pray that together you and your friends can be a group of women who encourage others and shine the Lord’s light wherever you go.

And of course, how could I not include the classic ‘Friends’ song by Micheal W. Smith. =)