Pinterest Fails, Perfectly Plowed Plans, and Reveling in My God-given Reality

I have found that in this place and in this season of my life, something that resembles “Pinterest perfection” is not attainable.

When we arrived here, I had this idea that this was my time to furnish a home and make it this beautiful, dreamy safe-haven for my family. I pinned and planned, but as I searched and scavenged this town with little to show, I realized that all my perfectly laid plans would be put to rest.

The taupe walls I asked for turned out pink. We settled for a too-small-for-our-bed comforter so we didn’t have to choose a funky floral pattern. We worried that the wall art contained Hindu imagery that we didn’t understand, and as we looked for others, we came up empty handed. Oh,and then there was that earthquake that forced a change of location (at least I got the right color walls now!).

I also thought, however naively, that free from the crazy schedule and lack of routine of deputation, I would be able to serve my family by cooking, keeping home, and doing fun things with my kids. But once we started language school and my husband began studies with a tutor, I realized just how foolish this fantasy was. Now I feel successful if my kids are bathed and surrender that spaghetti twice in the same week won’t kill us, though it won’t win me any home-making competitions.

When I compare myself to mom bloggers and veteran missionaries, I feel that I come up short. I’ve heard many times that comparison steals my joy but am only now realizing how true this is as I’m falling so short of those I aspire to resemble or what I think I would like to be.

I will slowly build the house of my dreams as I relax my standards. And I will be comfortable and content with the things that make up my life as I kick the habit of comparison. As I accept and love the life God has given me to live right now, in this place, in this season, I will let go of the falsified fantasy and revel in the reality of my abundantly blessed life!

And if I do compare, I hope that I will compare myself to those that are lost without the gospel and realize how perfect my life really is because what Christ has done in it. Reveling in the greatest reality of my life motivates me to the only thing that really matters: perfecting the lives of others by introducing them to the only Man who lived a perfect life and giving them an opportunity to allow Him to do a marvelous work in their hearts.

And when I realize that this is my job…my life… I realize that I really am living the dream! 

Have you learned to accept and love your less than picture perfect life?
I would love to hear your experiences in the comment section below!