Good Enough, With God

Finding Peace in Faithfulness, Not Perfection.

When I was a young mom, I thought being a “good Catholic woman” meant doing all the things, and doing them flawlessly. Daily Mass, the full rosary, meatless Fridays, a spotless house, family prayer time, happy marriage, balanced meals, well-mannered children, and a smiling, patient mom who never raised her voice.

If I could check all those boxes, I thought, surely God would be pleased with me.

Of course, reality hit hard. Babies woke me through the night, and I slept through morning prayer. Toddlers melted down during Mass and I carried them straight to the parking lot. My house was always more “lived in” than spotless, and dinner sometimes came from a cereal box.

I often ended those days with guilt, convinced that my small failures added up to a big one. I had disapppinted myself, and I thought I had disappointed God.

But over time, and especially now, I’ve learned something much truer, and far more freeing:

God doesn’t ask me to be perfect.

He asks me to be faithful.

And faithful is always “good enough, with God.”

What “Good Enough, With God” looks like

Prayer.
Most days I pray with Scripture, or get through a rosary, or at least take a quiet walk and talk with God. But some days, my prayer is nothing more than “Lord, help me” whispered in the middle of a hard moment. And I’ve come to see: that’s still prayer. That’s still turning to him. And on those days, that’s good enough, with God.

Family life.
Some days, I show up for my family with patience and joy…doing small favors, cooking a meal, or listening well. Other days, I’m tired and distracted, or I snap when I shouldn’t. But even then, I can apologize, I can start again. Love doesn’t have to look polished to be real. That’s good enough, with God.

Work.
Some days, I feel productive and creative. The words flow, the tasks get checked off, the meetings go well. Other days, the list only grows longer, and I feel like I’ve wasted time. But God doesn’t measure me by output; He measures me by love and intention. That’s good enough, with God.

Faith practices.
As a young mom, I remember trying to gather all the kids for nightly family prayer, and more often than not, someone was crying, someone was complaining, and someone was already asleep. At the time, I felt like a failure. Now I see: those messy prayers were still seeds planted. They were still moments of grace. That was good enough, with God.

Daily life.
Back then and still now, I don’t always get it “right.” Some days I walk, exercise, eat healthy meals, and feel energetic. Other days I’m tired, eat too much chocolate, and collapse on the couch with a glass of wine and a show. But health, like holiness, is not about perfection. It’s about steady, imperfect faithfulness. Good enough, with God.

Here’s why this is a big deal

The world tells us we have to do it all. Social media shows us curated images of perfect homes, perfect meals, perfect bodies, perfect families. But perfection is a lie.

God never asked me to be perfect. He asks me to be faithful.

God never asked you to be perfect. He asks you to be faithful.

God delights in our small offerings, even the crumbly ones. He multiplies our loaves and fishes, however meager our offerings. He takes our imperfect “yes” and makes it fruitful.

As St. Paul reminds us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).

And that means I don’t have to be flawless. You don’t have to be flawless. We just have to be willing. To show up. To keep turning back. To trust God with the gaps.

Good Enough, With God: A Daily Reminder

Some days I will pray beautifully.
Some days my prayer will be a sigh.
Both are enough.

Some days I will love well.
Some days I will fall short.
Both are enough, when I repent and return to God.

Some days I will accomplish a lot.
Some days I will not.
Both are enough, because my worth isn’t in my productivity.

It isn’t about my perfection—it’s about God’s.

And that makes me free.

Good enough, with God. Always.