Grace VS Hustling

Please, tell me I'm not the only one seeing a flood of these type of posts on your social media...

So much so, that I've started becoming accustomed to it.
Until I saw this on post from Haven Homes Instagram.

Stopped me in my tracks!!! 

I'm not saying for a second that one is better than the other. 

So many entrepreneur friends are posting in reference to their small business. 

AND I SUPPORT YOU!

The reason this reached out and grabbed my attention and has captivated my thoughts the last few days, is this. 

As a mom to a HERD, there are days, (Let's be real, MOST DAYS) where I feel dumpy...frumpy??? Both! 

I have REALLY beautiful friends, I mean, BEAUTIFUL!!! 

And they are going places, dressing fancy, being fabulous in general. 

Most days, I wear chapstick, and Mom jeans. 

So I went digging.  

I started researching a little. 

This is what we used to think of when we heard the word "Hustle".  

Getting on the Metro, downtown Moscow, "hustled". 

Getting out of the street following my mom into a store as a little girl, "hustle". 

When I was little, and played Volleyball, (ok, I sat on the bench, but the other girls) "hustled".  

I realize this isn't what my friends are meaning. So to the Urban dictionary I went. 

If you're not familiar with this "dictionary" it is a reader submission based descriptor.  So, you'll see the amount of "likes" that each of the top three entries received. 

My jaw was on the ground.  I really was genuinely surprised at the top entry with more than 3 thousand "likes".  This is what most people think of when they hear the word "hustle".  

In contrast, here are the definitions for GRACE, 

Isn't that interesting? Both the Webster's and Urban dictionary are very similar. 

Here's where my thought process was taking me. 

Where did Hustling bring me?  

Team Manager for an MLM company. I tell ya, I HUSTLED for that rank.  I posted, I sold, I messaged people....and I really felt accomplished for a minute. But it didn't last. 

As a matter of fact, the second I stopped "Hustling", it started to crumble out from under me. 

Hustling has to be a way of life in order to maintain it. 

And kudos to people that can keep it up. 

I couldn't.  My relationships started to degrade. 

My family felt neglected. 

My stress level was so high I was starting to have physical reprecussions. 

The flip side of this situation is GRACE. 

I started intentionally giving myself Grace. 

No, I didn't maintain my rank for a full year. But I DID, write or call all the friends that I had tried to hustle, and apologize.  They were more important to me than their business, and there were several people that it took me messaging 4 or 5 times before they opened my letter.

Grace has brought me 31 children. 10 of whom stayed. 

Grace taught me that my children have special needs, but so do I.  

Grace has brought people into my life, that I have the emotional resources to reach out to and come along side.  

Grace has made our marriage a place where we can be fully ourselves, where we give each other room to mess up, and room to choose each other. 

Grace has given us a vocation that allows us to be together all the time, and Grace has kept us loving each other EVEN THOUGH we are together all the time. 

Grace has brought me to a place where I dare to write, dare to dream, dare to share our struggles in the hope that they will be a life-line to other families. 

Hustling brought me places. Hustling provided for our family, but it cost me. 

Grace hasn't really taken me anywhere, but it has given me everything.