Basking in my average.

Have you ever been discouraged?

I have. More than once.

I've always thought I was average in every way. Average wife. Average mom. And there's this incredible pressure in life to be more, do more, accomplish more.

But the truth is I am not comfortable in the limelight. That's why God doesn't let me discover the cure for cancer or give birth to 19 children and be the star of a reality TV show. Five kids is so . . . average. I couldn't handle the pressure of huge accolades.

Except for yesterday, when I finally kicked myself in the patootie and sat down to write a 25-slide PowerPoint research proposal for my current master's class. I kept going back to Facebook to update everyone on my progress (like it's important to anyone but me). At one point, I wrote "Just want you all to know I have 8 of 25 slides for this proposal done. I expect some kudos."

A few people wrote words of encouragement (which I very much appreciated), it got a few likes, and then after I updated that I was up to 13 slides done, an old and dear friend wrote, "Mrs. Sargent you are a Titan amongst mere mortals. You exemplify professional dedication. We the collective Facebook community bask in your magnificence!" and I'm telling you, that made the rest of my day. That might be my favorite comment of all time. I'm thinking of printing it on fancy paper and having it framed.

Anyway, the reason I'm thinking about all of this average vs. awesome stuff is because I just read Jon Acuff's latest book Start. (the period is part of the title, not the end of that last sentence) (Just wanted to clarify.), which I highly recommend. In it, he describes the steps everyone who has ever been awesome at something has gone through to get there. 

So as I was sitting in my lounge chair on the deck just now considering all he had to say, I realized that I am already awesome. I'm awesome at being average. Average wife. Average mom. And I'm okay with that. I like the wife I am. I really like the mom I am. (I've always said I'm a better mom than I am a wife. My husband will argue, but it's true.) I have great kids, and I like them and they like me. I think that's pretty good. And if that's the only awesome I ever get to be, I'll thank God for the opportunity and carry on.

What about you? What are you awesome at?