My master bathroom is super small. Of all the things I could change about my house, that would be the first thing. However, right now, it’s not in the budget. So, when Travis is getting ready as he was this particular Sunday morning, I resorted to another room to blow dry my hair.
We have an office/library in our house. That room is the room I work in. In that room though, the people who lived here prior to us put a cabinet with a sink and even a space for a refrigerator. It’s odd and I really don’t like it but again, not in the budget to gut at this point. When we moved in, the people who sold us the home asked to take that refrigerator. We agreed but sadly, for a year and a half now, it’s an empty space that we typically use as a junk, I don’t know where else to put this so this will do, space.
Blow Drying My Hair
Let’s be honest here. If you know me, you know I do not like to wash my hair. Dry shampoo is a great joy in my life. So, as I flipped my hair over in front of that awkward sink in my office to start blow drying my hair that was not wet but damp from the shower – I find blow drying the dry shampoo gives you extra body – I noticed something. What I noticed had always been since we moved in. It was not a new sight for me but for whatever reason, it bothered me at that moment.
The trim in the space where a refrigerator should be is only painted back to where a refrigerator should be. I assume the people who lived here prior to us, repainted the trim and instead of pulling the refrigerator out, they simply painted as far back as they could and stopped. We plan on putting a refrigerator there too eventually because what else are you to put in a space like that but for now, that’s what we have.
I recently had a bible study in my home and to get to the bathroom, you have to go through this room. As I was blow drying my hair and saw it and I thought, “I wonder what people thought of this terrible trim, half way painted as they went into the bathroom?”
As I pondered on this for a moment, I quickly thought, “Everyone has something about their home that is unfinished. Something that they’d like to change or need to do. Give yourself a break.”
Social Media Feeds
I started to think about all the perfectly curated social media home decor feeds that I follow on Instagram. Their feeds are beautiful displays of their beautiful homes. Never do you see a thing out of place. Everything is perfectly staged and placed with much meticulousness.
I felt God tell me as I was still blow drying my hair – “Even they are hiding something.”
The Joanna Gaines’s of the world, even they have a mess somewhere they are hiding. It maybe a junk drawer. Maybe a closet or an attic that isn’t perfectly labeled and organized. I don’t know what it is but they all, every last one of them, are hiding a mess they have in their homes. That mess, of course, is hidden from their social media feeds.
You see, they only want you to see a certain side of their homes. They want to hide anything that could make you think differently of their reputation they have regarding their home, their decorating, or their organizing skills.
How Does it Make You Feel Though?
What I am finding is even though I love to see these beautiful homes and get tips from them on decorating and organizing, when I leave their feeds, I always feel a little less than. When I put my phone down and see the dishes piled up, unpainted trim, or dog hair covering the floor, I feel a mess.
I feel like I cannot relate to these woman. How on earth do they do it all? What is their secret?
Here’s their secret: They have mess too. They just hide it.
How Often Do We Do This With Our Lives?
How often do we go through life hiding our mess? Not the dirty dishes piled or laundry that needs put away but the mess in our hearts. We are so hesitant to share the messiness of life. We want to uphold a reputation that people see us for something that maybe we are but also, maybe we aren’t. We fear that if we share our mess, our struggles, or our pain, it would in return affect the way people viewed us.
Let me tell you this….
Sharing your mess makes you relatable. Sharing your mess brings people together. It allows people to see that they are not alone in the mess of life.
I believe God wants us to be relatable.
As believers, that’s how God can use us – RELATABILITY.
Share and Be Relatable
Awhile ago, I felt this tug on my heart from God wanting me to share. To no longer go through life making people think I have it all together. He wanted me to expose the mess in my life. I try hard to do that. I second guess and question what I share all the time. However, what I am finding is God using my mess to connect me to woman who, had I not shared, I would never be connected with.
For example: That same Sunday morning, after I had blow dried my hair, I had to threaten and make my son sing a song with me at church. As we went up front and sang, everyone complimented and all the things. They were so “proud” of him. So “proud” of me as godly mother. What they didn’t know is before we left the house, I was ready to throw down with him in order for him to sing the darn song with me! See, the church saw a godly mother and son singing a son. What was hidden was the mess. That private moment in our home when I wanted to slap him silly if he didn’t sing the song with me.
I am writing this to encourage you to share. Share your mess. Share your struggles. Not only that but how through God, you were able to over come it!
Looking put together and hiding your mess may bring you admirers. However, being relatable will bring you life long, life changing, impactful connections.
Love you friends
(Photo credit of google stock)
💯%! Love this ! Thank you for sharing! 😘