Let's be real...

Ok…so I am going to share a few things about myself with you all today:

1)      I am a 3 time state champion in track

2)      I just finished running in the OKC Marathon this past weekend

3)      Right this minute my house is spotless

4)      My kids all have field trips and projects going on and we are done with them and all permission slips are in

5)      This year has been my greatest year of fruitful ministry since I started in FCA 13 years ago

Now…before you start cursing me and thinking bad thoughts about me, I have just given you the Facebook version, the surface version of every single one of these. Now lets move past the surface to the reality of these….

1)      These state championships were because I was on a relay with 3 really fast girls. I was not even close to winning anything in an individual race

2)      The same goes for the Marathon. I ran the Marathon as relay with 5 others girls because there is no way in the world I would ever put myself through running 26 miles…to be honest that sounds like my version of hellJ (Serious props to all marathon runners, you are rock stars) 

3)      I ask for no presents from my family throughout the year so I can have Marciela come and clean my house each month. We love Marciella and feel like she is a part of our family. I think I would give up a kid before I would give up Marciella. She just came yesterday and we were gone all last night hence it is still clean. I have no doubt my kids will come home today and see it is clean and think “we must get this house back to normal asap.”

4)      You know the moms that are on top of everything? The type “A” moms that if it wasn’t for them, nothing would get done? I have sought out that mom in each one of my kids classes and have begged them to take me under their wing and help this little sad mess of a crazy mom. They have each taken pity on me and send me the lifesaving text messages like

“The history project is due this Friday and you will need a tri-fold board, do you need me to pick you up one?”

“The permission form is due today, do you want me to forge your name and turn it in for you?”

“Did you remember to get the skittles for the Math project?”

5)      I have sought professional counseling twice: Pattye, who specialized in Time management counseling (I didn’t even know this was a thing until my boss signed me up for it, which was his way of saying you have got to get your act together)

And the latest was Mareen, a professional counselor who specializes in counseling those in full time ministry. She is the perfect balance of sweet, bake you cookies Grandma and no filter, tell you how it is grandma. Both, God used to help me be the best I can possibly be in this calling of full time ministry-in and outside of my home.

A couple of things I want you to learn from this…

1)      Jesus said, “Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” John 7:24. We try so hard to live on the surface for others and then just look at the surface of others. Relationships are not built on the surface, but by doing life with others sharing in all of each other’s messiness. God is a relational God and we see that through His Son Jesus. Does he want anything less from our relationships with each other? We are the body of Christ, which basically means “imperfect people doing this life with the help of a perfect God and other imperfect people.”

2)      That leads me to this point: WE NEED EACH OTHER. As much as we would love to show the world that we are strong enough to do everything on our own, God’s strength is shown through our weakness. We get God’s strength when we show humility, realizing this life is not about us, but about Him! We need those women who will pour life into us through their teaching ability, pour life into us through their generosity, and pour life into us through their hospitality.  God teaches us in Ecclesiastes 4:9, “Two are better than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” God has placed so many women in my path to make me the mom, wife, Bible teacher, FCA leader He wants me to be. It takes a village, or in my case a whole state to do all that God has called me to do.

Let’s do this life together, You, me and Jesus! ….I’m in for your messiness if you are in for mineJ