Found Out

Why is it that we are so afraid to be found out? We are afraid to let people in, to let them see who we are and our struggles. We (and when I say we I mean the American society) are fearful of what others might think. That we might not have "it" all together. Whatever "it" may be. That we have failure, sadness, fears, and bad days among our successes, hopes, dreams, and laughter. That sometimes we need help from others and that we make mistakes.

The funny thing is that we ALL have these things, but very few of us share them-even with people who are close to us. We are all broken in some way or another, but yet we have this innate desire to pretend. We have become great pretenders. So much that we laugh when we want to cry, lie when we should share truth, are in debt up to our eyeballs to keep up with the Jones & fake a lot of things that should be real.

Let's face it. Maybe we do it because we are just as judgemental towards others. It is like the parable of the spec of dust and the log. We are so eager to point out some one's spec of dust in their eye that we miss the log in our own. Maybe we do this because we can't face our own log. Maybe because calling someone else out or comparing ourselves with them would make us feel better. But in the end it doesn't.

I have decided I want to be the most "real" person I can be. I don't want to spend any time looking at the dust in other's eyes and want concentrate on having the Lord deal with my big fat log. Because I am sure it is even bigger than I realize.

It also makes me wonder. . .If we were all "real" would we have a lot more friends and be less stressed out?

Everyday Heroes

I have a friend that has become one of my heroes. She is amazing woman with a strength that only comes from the Lord. She is the vision of the Proverbs 31 woman. Her husband does praise her and her children will (when they get older) call her blessed. :)

First let me tell you she is a stay at home mom with 5, yes 5, children. The oldest is about 10 but then the other 4 are all under 6! She plays with them, disciplines them, teaches them about the grace of the Lord, cleans, does laundry, gets them to school and preschool, and volunteers. I think that is amazing, but if that was not enough, it gets even better. This is a women who has worked through the loss of her mother-in-law to Lou Gehrig's (shortly before her marriage), her father-in-law to cancer, almost lost her husband (who was not long ago in the hospital for days upon end), and now has found out that her brother has a cancerous tumor. Yet in all this, she still praises the name of the Lord and thanks Him for her sustenance. There is a song, "Praise You In The Storm", by a group called Casting Crowns and the chorus is as follows:

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

This is what my wonderful friend does and I cannot say that about many people. She considers her family blessed and trials an opportunity to share her faith and who God is to her.

I have many heroes, some I have met and others I have not. Today I wanted to share with you just one who is absolutely amazing. And if you pray, please pray for her family and that the Lord will show Himself to her even in the midst of another 'storm'.