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Picture Perfect

If you have been following along, this may or may not surprise you - We are getting our house ready to put on the market. Yes, we are moving. Different circumstances and not what we would have chosen but here we go again, moving. I've got this! I know the drill. However, our realtor wanted to send in a professional photographer. He couldn't get out here until later in the week but would call if he had a cancellation.

 I was heading out for the day to do some errands and have a much needed coffee date with a girlfriend. I mentioned to my husband that in the event we get a call from the photographer would he please make sure to "stage" the house? We need it to look picture perfect.  I would assume the photographer would do that but hey, he's a guy, so who knows? He will most likely not notice if the toilet seat is up. So, I went through a list of possible things that would maybe not look so picture perfect. "Be sure the toilet seats are down, the dog toys are picked up, pillows on the couch are fluffed, the blinds aren't all crooked from Annie poking her nose through them, drawers are closed, and my laundry isn't hanging on the shower rod. And of course it goes without saying if Annie has to go outside well.... You know what to do." 

We want to make a good impression so that people will fall in love with the house and want to buy it. So we stage it to look perfect. Realistically, it's hard to live that way. We use towels to clean up our messes and leave the towel on the counter, we leave toilet seats up and laundry drying on the shower curtain rod. We sit on pillows that get flattened on the sofa and have that lived in look. Annie is still such a puppy and loves her toys so they are everywhere. Our stuff is all over the place but we don't want anyone to see all of our stuff in the photos. So, we stuff our stuff into closets and drawers and anywhere else we can find room. Then it appears we live this picture perfect life without any messes. 

That could not be any further from the truth. We have a wonder life, God has blessed us more than I could ever have imagined and certainly more than we deserve. Yet, we are two imperfect people, with an imperfect marriage living an imperfect life. I don't want to try to "stage" it to look picture perfect in order to "sell it" to others.

I can be that way in my personal life though. I want to make a good impression and have people love me. So I stuff. I don't want people to see my weaknesses and flaws. But I never want to try to sell a bill of goods that paints a picture of me as having it all together. I don't, I am flawed, broken and anything but perfect no matter how much makeup I put on. Or how hard I try to hide my stuff so others don't see it.

The good news is- Jesus loves us just the way we are. In our messes and imperfections. Isn't that awesome? He isn't waiting for us to get our act together, clean up our mess and look like we have it all together. He says "give me your mess and I'll clean that up for you."  I'm so incredibly thankful for Him and the love He has for me in my messy brokenness. 

Life is tough. Unexpected bumps in the road cause us to spill our stuff all over the place. And yet our perfect God isn't surprised at all. He is right there to carry us through, messy and all. 

-Pressing On 


“A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.”
Matthew 8:2-3 NIV

“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”
John 15:3 NIV

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV


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