Fake It Till You Make It, Or Not?

There are poopy diapers and banana peels in the overflowing trash that so desperately needs to be emptied. I can't fill up my glass with water in the sink because the dishes are piled so high, and the carpet is covered with a blanket of lint confetti and strewn dirty socks. The bathroom smells like pee, which seems to be characteristic of where little boys reside. All the laundry is dirty {again}, and so am I. *sigh.* Some days are just like that.

I came across this quote yesterday:

"When we operate from the central concern of being seen a certain way, we can't develop healthy relationships in the messy soil of reality--the only place they'll grow. Presenting a perfect, fake life to others generates fear in our own hearts and intimidation in everyone else's, and creates nice, fake relationships--with our friends, with our family members, even with our own children...Not only did Jesus not require perfection, those who pretended they'd attained it disgusted him. Authenticity ranks terribly high on Jesus's list of required attributes. It's not how good we are that counts, but how truthful we are about how good we're not. Only then can Jesus get busy developing us into the redeemed daughters we already are in Him." Out of the Spin Cycle, by Jen Hatmaker

When I shared it with my husband, he asked, "so what does that mean for you?" And I responded, "well, I have this picture of our garbage can filled with banana peels and diapers. I was thinking about posting that online." Who says that?? Which is exactly what he was thinking, I'm sure. It's a miracle the man puts up with me on a daily basis. :) And maybe I'm a weirdo, but I think people are desperate for that messy reality: to know that it exists outside their own home and to be able to talk freely about it with others, without fear of judgement.

So, my garbage can is full, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, as well. Today was garbage day, so the physical one got emptied and carried out to the curb. My emotional garbage can is full of fear, anger, and pride. My mental garbage can is full of lies, laziness, and idols. I need to take all that garbage out to the curb and lay it down at the foot of the cross. Reality is messy, but God doesn't want us to live in filth. He wants to redeem it and use it for good. He has plans, wonderful plans for our life, to give us a hope and a future.

Don't "fake it till you make it," as the saying goes, choosing a prison of loneliness and isolation. It's safe to assume that if there's something you're thinking, feeling, or experiencing, everyone else has, too. What step can you take towards authenticity today? Maybe it isn't sharing your garbage with the world, but you could certainly sit down with a trusted friend and speak the truth. Let someone into your life today and take out some garbage. Believe me, we all have it, and there's freedom in that.