Wise Insight from a 21 year old

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My middle daughter has a friend, Bailee, who has been in her life since middle school (and a friendship that survives Middle School through college is rare).  When they were first starting to be friends, they decided that their Moms should be friends as well.  So they took their Moms out to ice cream to help us become friends (sweet, huh?) .  Well it worked, as her Mom and I have become great friends and have enjoyed being part of a weekly Bible Study for the past 6 (or maybe 7) years. 

Our Bible Study meets at my friend’s house every week – they have a gorgeous home that they regularly open for many different events (that is where our MOPS Steering Retreat went swimming), including our Bible Study.  Last week, as we were sitting in their great room waiting for everyone to get there (for some reason, our Bible Study always starts late:) ); Bailee came down to go to work.  She asked her Mom where the nail polish that she had left on the counter was and learned that it had been moved to the laundry room before we (the Bible Study) arrived.  Bailee went to get it and declared that it must be an “unwritten Bible Study rule” that we can’t know that their family ever has anything on their counters, as they are cleared before each Bible Study.  We all laughed at her statement – but I have been thinking about it since then.

Why is it that we feel that we have to clean up to be around people we love and who love us.  Our Bible Study has been together for years, we have seen each other through many difficult times.  These are women who I have shared my heartaches, they have prayed and loved me beyond expectation.  We have done this for each other.  We all feel at home in the beauty and the comfortable atmosphere of this home – and yet, my friend still feels the need to put the nail polish in the laundry room before we come.  Bailee hit the nail on the head with her comments.

Before the MOPS picnic at my house, I was Swifer dusting when our Coordinator came in.  I told her that I was dusting for her and she said, “I think you are dusting for yourself” – wow, another comment right on the mark!  Would the people attending think better of me if my house was dusted or would I appear to have it more together!  I know and have even said that people can come to my house regardless of how it appears – yet here I was (a few days after surgery) trying to make my house clean enough for Pre-School families (who are really just amazed to come into a home without toys on the floor).

And more importantly, why do I do this with my Heavenly Father – why do I try to hide or clean up my messes so I will look better to Him?  Is that what God really wants from my life?  I really do know the answer, to lay it all down at His throne – regardless of whether it looks clean, tidy or “swifered”.

Yesterday, I was sent this link from one of the MOPS Moms in our group.  She had mentioned cardboard testimonies and I did not know what they were — so she sent me this YouTube Video.  The people on this video did not clean up or hide their messes, but they openly revealed how God had worked through them.  If you get a moment, watch for yourself to see what it is like to be messy. 

“Lord, I pray that you will continue to force me to be real with others – even when it means revealing that my life is a mess.  You are the one who brings beauty from ashes, please continue to do so in my life.  I do not claim to have it together in any manner- but I will claim you as my God and once again, I will put it all in your hands to clean it up, put it away and to somehow bring Yourself glory.  It is all for you and because of you… Amen”