Things aren’t always what they seem.
You can’t judge a book by its cover.
What you see isn’t always what you get.
Cliché? Perhaps. But true.
In fact, I wonder what you’d think of me if you met me in person. Does my writing lead you to who I am in my heart? Does my life reflect the values I teach in my home? Am I honoring the inner essence of me with what shows on my exterior?
Do you ever ask yourself those questions? Or is it just me thinking, again, deeper than I should be?
I hope I’m living my life congruently with my soul’s calling. You know, I want to reflect an authentic me in what I show the world around me. But, honestly, sometimes I question myself and keep praying that I’m not a sell-out to the social standards bombarding my soul.
I know I fail…over and over in repeat attempts after redeeming myself yet again for the same sin.
Like when I lose my patience at the end of an exhausting day….when my heart breaks and my head reacts with worry….when mothering’s too much and I forget to ask the Father to pick up the pieces….when my words fail to reflect the real, honest feeling beneath the frustration and I get caught up in complaining instead.
Maybe I don’t write about those things often enough…
Because that’s what’s hidden underneath the outside appearance and between the words I discern to disclose. It’s the mess, the stress and the unsavory truth of imperfections in me coming to the surface with those closest to me.
Yeah, it’s the ones nearest and dearest who see what bubbles out and bears the quiet sins in me. They read between the lines of my life’s proverbial book and the behind the scenes of my blog.
Isn’t it true for you, too? Aren’t there pieces of you that only those close can see? Don’t you, too, have hidden sins bubbling beneath the surface only uncovered at home? It’s those pieces of you that would betray you in public, reveal your deepest worries and perhaps wreak havoc on your reputation.
Here’s what I want to say: It’s okay.
Because there’s comfort in keeping some of who we are hidden underneath the exterior. ALL of us is not meant for everyone.
All of us is for HIM. There IS someone who knows it all and treasures you even in your sin and when you sulk. He’s the reassurance we need when we question our authenticity. He knows us inside out, every part and each pitiful portion, and He loves us anyway! He sees right through us, all the problems, moments of impatience and even the way our human minds make mistakes before our hands bore them. And, He loves us anyway.
That’s right…you’re okay. All of you! Because someone already knows the whole of you. You see, there’s no one closer than Christ our Savior and all He wants is to save us!
In fact, I believe He loves us despite and perhaps for our imperfections. It’s those inadequacies eventually bringing us to our knees where we look up in longing for light and our life’s renewal. Our sinful selves loath and send us seeking for spiritual sanity in a Savior. So while we walk through the sludge of sin, He yearns to give us respite and recovery only He, a soul Savior, can give.
Yeah, so, when you look at me, what you see is NOT what you get….There’s more that He’s healing in and loving out of me. And, what overflows from my mouth and on these pages, I pray, is what HE wants you to see.
It’s only in the closeness of Christ where real human truth floats to the surface and we face Him, naked, needing forgiveness we’ve failed to earn but He always gives away. Yes, friends, we are forever forgiven through His eternal unfailing love.
His sacrificial love saves our souls, covering us in cleanliness, so we can attempt again and again to wear our best selves on our sleeves for others to see.
Let’s learn that lesson from Him as we come closer to Christ in our private lives: He loves us anyways! So, when we look at each other, read or hear each other’s words and observe our exteriors, let’s remember we’re all in the same life sinking situation. We all struggle with sin. But, we only sink until what’s underneath is solved by the Savior who already knows us on the inside.
Let’s hold compassion in our hearts, knowing we all hurt. Let us care deeply for each other, even the dirt, instead of always expecting a tidy exterior. Let’s encourage what’s unseen and accept one another even with imperfections. Because that’s what He teaches us to do....love anyways!
Because remember, none of us are really what we seem…until our Savior saves our souls.
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