“Comparison is killer.” I blinked at the premarital counselor, realizing for the first time that comparing my husband to my father would harm my marriage. This thought came back to mind as I stared at my five year old who insisted on fixing her own hair.

For a moment, I glanced around the ice cream shop wondering if anyone was looking at her thinking she looked silly. In reality, I was wondering if anyone was wondering what kind of mother I was for letting her look like that.

The mom of the little girl whose hair was nicely braided? Or the other little girl who matched from head to toe? 

In truth, I was the only one worried about what others thought. No one was going to call the fashion police on me, and if they did, so what? 

We worry too much about what others think. The One you want to please is the One who gave you life. Trying to please others for the sake of fitting in will send you on a never ending roller coaster of disappointment. We should always try to uplift and encourage others, not tear them apart in an effort to justify how we feel about ourselves. 

I have been guilty of this a time or ten. Ask God to show you how He sees you. Ask Him to help you stop making comparisons and assumptions about others.

As we got in the car to leave the ice cream shop, my husband noticed Julia shivering. We left her coat in the store, while I made sure I was all bundled up in mine. When we got home, I discovered she was wearing two different shoes. 

Sometimes you just have to let the kid be a kid.