When The Blog Doesn't Match The Blogger

Do you ever scroll through mom blogs or writer blogs or craft blogs or whatever-is-your-passion blogs and think, "wow, I SOOOOO don't have it together like THEY do." It occurred to me the other day that, while bloggers (including myself) can type up a scenario or emotional outpour in a neat  three paragraph post with a pretty little nugget of wisdom to top it off, then display it for all of Blogger to see, it really is just a glimpse into a life that has just as many insecurities, strengths, weaknesses, and struggles as everyone else.

I am convicted when my daily-life flaws don't line up with my inspiring blog posts. But the truth is that this imperfect, striving-at-times, uncertain-at-times mama who really, REALLY L-O-V-E-S her kids, her husband, and especially her God, blogs not because I hope to be a shiny little inspirational idol for my readers, but because writing and sharing give me a nudge to continue trying, to process my thoughts, and set me on a course toward something better...

I am a work-in-progress.

Not perfected yet. I can discover truth through my circumstances, blog about it, find God's inspiration amidst the thoughts which flow into typed words. And with all my heart, I have every intention to try harder. To step away from the virtual enlightenment and make it my new reality. Yet, I am flawed. I will admit, I might type a blog post one minute, and the next minute I catch myself in the same miserable cycle that I vowed to break in that particular blog post.

I am a work-in progress, for sure.

And in her book, Unglued, Lysa Terkeurst uses that exact phrase, "a work-in-progress", to describe herself. If you ever feel run down by your emotions, ashamed, over-ruled, Lysa's insight will help walk you through it and break away from it, without striving for an unattainable perfection. Lysa gives a bunch personal examples which have to do with motherhood, and seeing that she is an AMAZING Proverbs 31 Woman who admits her own shortcomings, brings me to one sure thing:

This life isn't about US being perfect, but CHRIST'S perfection nudging us toward something better on this journey.

I'm shedding the old and embracing the new...even if the old takes a while to lose its static cling. That new is ahead, waiting, just like God promises. And while I'm still a few steps away from the new, He's right beside me with grace to catch me when I stumble, and His perfection to inspire me to keep on walking...and blogging.

A Mother's Tether

I came to Panera by myself, with every intent to study the word of God without the distractions of my busy house. The study I am in right now, has not found it's way into my heart as I hoped. I have definitely received nuggets out of it and have even blogged about it before, but either pregnancy ADD or my heart's condition has brought me up to a wall every time I try to push forward in the study. So, I logged into the free wifi, and went to one of my sure-thing websites, Proverbs 31. And yes, God was there waiting.

The first devotional I read was about friendship. It spoke of how "as iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another." You know I have been contemplating my friendships these days. And I can only think of a few friendships in my whole life where this verse applies. One being my husband. How often I forget that he is my unconditional best friend. He sharpens me in such a way, that I sometimes struggle with the humility it brings. I pray that I sharpen him too!

But the second devotional...this gave me a word picture which I will never forget, and for that I am forever thankful. The message was about children who go astray as adults, and although I am not "there" right now, the author's words struck such an impression in my mind that I know I have gained much as a parent tonight:

"So go right now and tether your child to God with a lifeline of prayer."

Friends, how awesome it is that we have the power of the Holy Spirit to connect our children to God even when they refuse Him and have their backs turned? My children are at a young age right now, and I feel so privileged to be able to tether them to the God of the universe with prayer, before they even get the chance to stray. The author of the devo says that Jesus did this with Simon Peter and told him that "God has asked to sift him like wheat" but when he was ready to repent, to go and reveal God to his brothers. Jesus focused on Simon's eventual witness to bring glory to God after the trials. He didn't say he would take the trials away from Simon Peter, but that the trials would bring him through to God's plan! God allowed Simon Peter to stretch his tethered rope far from Him, knowing that he would eventually release the tension and come back to the loving hand of God.
Oh that I allow my children to take their own steps knowing that I have tethered them to God in prayer, and that I will give God the room to grow them through the trials!