Dr. Cristina Sevadjian

Hi Covenant Friends,

I hope you all enjoyed the Easter break, which was a nice pause in an otherwise very busy spring season! This time of year, we can often find ourselves feeling pretty worn out by the demands of our schedules and end-of-year events. It can also be a time where we find ourselves becoming frustrated that we forgot an item or event, got our schedules wrong, had a babysitter come on the wrong day, and the list could go on and on. It can feel not only overwhelming but also defeating when things naturally slip. How do we finish well, do our best, and continue to do hard things as individuals and families amidst busy schedules?

We may have an expectation that doing our best, finishing well, and doing hard things will lead to an exceptional end result. For example, in my world that would mean interacting in an exceptionally patient manner with my children and business partners, while being an outstanding psychologist, reading the Bible daily, and making a wonderfully nutritious and delicious home-cooked dinner at the end of the day. (My friends reading this will laugh knowing I don’t cook, which is kind of the point here!) We can have similar expectations for our children according to their own ages and stages such as performing well in all activities while maintaining solid grades, being obedient, and being kind or polite. In reality, my best often looks like losing my patience with someone (Greg, our children, or partners at work) along with other missteps at work and home. I wonder--is this actually finishing well and doing hard things? Is this mess really my best?

The answer is of course “Yes!” Our finishing well, doing our best, and continuing to do hard things is not about an outcome, but it is a process. It is the process of learning through missteps, mistakes, and poor planning. It looks like problem solving and coping with hard days. This process is messy, which leads to feelings of vulnerability but ultimately results in greater resiliency in ourselves and our children. My encouragement in this season is let’s keep finishing well, let’s do the hard things, and let’s try our best and encourage our children to do the same. Additionally let’s extend grace upon grace to ourselves, our children, and with one another even when it feels like we’ve missed the mark.