Monday, August 22, 2011

Getting It Done: Myth #2

Last Monday I said that when it comes to Getting It Done, Myth #1 is that it is possible to get it all done. It's not. Embrace it. I hope you made your "I JUST DON'T DO THAT" list this week.

Myth #2 about Getting It Done:
Everyone else's life is much more exciting 
and 'together' than mine.

Isn't it so easy to look at other people at church on Sunday, read someone else's blog, or people watch in restaurants and imagine that their lives certainly looks more together than your's feels. I've actually stopped reading certain blogs because they always left me feeling horrible about myself. I'd see all these amazing things that someone else was doing with their kids or with their personal lives and feel like a total failure. 

Twitter can be the same way. We always put our best foot forward in social media. We work out, we have great time alone with God, our kids are adorable, our church is doing something truly significant, yadda, yadda, yadda. Our lives seem so important and glamorous. There have been moments that I've been tempted to tweet, "Overslept. No workout. Ate 6 donuts for breakfast. Yelled at my kids and got in a fight with my husband. Don't feel like reading my Bible. All before 8 AM." I wonder what kind of response that would get. :-) Not that that has EVER been true of me. I mean, maybe some of you people have experienced that, but of course I never have. My life is much more together and exciting and important than that! Ahem...

I recently heard Pastor Steven Furtick say, 
"We compare everyone else's highlight reel to our behind the scenes." 

Most of the time we don't know the pain, trials, sacrifices, and back-breaking work that has gone into such a moment of triumph for that person. We just compare their success to our day-to-day, and are left feeling like they must be some type of "super-human".

The reality is everyone has "junk" in their life. We all live out the mundane moments most of the time. Some days get punctuated with an exclamation mark, but for the most part it's: empty the dishwasher, buy toilet paper, wash the never ending mound of laundry, prepare 21 meals this week, etc... It's life. 

To some, that may sound so depressing. But for me it was an absolutely liberating realization. I find such joy in knowing that mundane does not equal insignificant!

Remind yourself everyday of the bigger picture, the mile-high view, of your life. You're not just changing diapers; you're shaping a warrior. You're not just preparing a meal; you're creating an opportunity for community and engagement to happen around your kitchen table. You can worship the Lord no matter what task is at hand if you have the attitude that no matter what you do, you will do it as unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:17)

One closing thought...I once heard a godly woman challenge another group of women by saying, "If the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence, it's time to water your own grass!" So my challenge for you today is to create marvelous moments amidst the mundane.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Definitely needed to hear this today. Thank you!