Don't Look!

Here’s a photo of one of my flower beds. It’s quite neat. We recently had electrical work done to the boxes, and I removed the unruly lilac bush. I also replanted some small flowers after the chickens scratched up the roots and damaged others. For me, this is pretty organized.

I thought about showing you a photo from winter or early spring, but I don’t have one! And truthfully, I don’t even want one to show you. I don't want to display my mess!

It’s the same with our hearts and our lives. Nobody shares photos of their husband leaving after a huge argument, or the look on their face when their kids insult or disrespect them, or a failing grade. We prefer to show our A+ moments—our smiling faces, looking our best in a new dress, holding hands with our husband.

I always say everything in life requires balance. Our true selves have ups and downs—sad faces and happy ones, fruitful seasons and times when we feel like we’re searching for the last drop from a cactus.

Like this photo of my flower bed, I’m only showing you the good parts. But if I don’t share my challenges, how will others see that they’re not alone in difficult times? If we keep everything to ourselves, how can we encourage one another?

David was authentic in his life. We see when he was up and when he was down. Some days he was full of hope: “In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” Other times, he wrote, “My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts...”

It’s okay to have ups and downs, and seasons where you don’t have much to give. It’s better not to hide it, but to offer it to the Lord, asking Him to use it for His glory.

What would it look like to let someone see a little more of the real you this week? Not just the perfectly arranged version of you, but the one still being tended—the areas still growing. God does not turn away from those spaces; He meets us there. And often, it’s in our most unpolished moments that He does His most meaningful work, not just in us, but through us for others.