For years we've seen the reality tv phenomena happening. People all over are loving reality tv shows. From Dance Moms to the Duggars, people are watching.
Why?
Why are we so interested in reality tv?
Could it be that we're sick and tired of fake tv? Romantic shows? Phony Sit-coms?
The question, "Does art imitate life or does life imitate art?" has been answered.
Neither!!
Today shows are being used to try to influence us politically. People are walking away from Cable television. With Youtube, people have become their own stars. Hollywood isn't needed. People are choosing what they want to watch and are no longer relying solely on Hollywood to tell us what to watch.
This has me really thinking. Why do we love reality tv?
I was taken back to the beginning of my walk with the Lord and I can remember wanting women to mentor me. It was hard. I was a young mom, new to homeschooling, new to the Lord.
In time some women did come into my life but I always seemed to have trouble opening up and really sharing my intimate struggles with them. I had always assumed it was my issue because I was distrusting. As I got older and my walk with the Lord became stronger, I began to see an issue.
It wasn't that I wasn't willing to open up, it was that my mentors weren't really opening up to me. I found myself longing for some real intimate friendships and couldn't really find any.
Don't get me wrong, these were women who knew God's word. When I did discuss anything with them, their responses were solid and biblical...there was just phoniness to it. A lack of real intimacy in our relationship as women. While they would nod and seem to understand my struggle, they wouldn't share with me their struggle in that area. Instead, they would cite scripture and their wisdom was good but again.. nothing really of themselves were they telling me.
" So affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives because you had become dear to us."
1 Thessalonians 2:8
One day an older woman and I were talking and I was sharing my heartache with what I was going through with my older daughter. She shared with me, " I can't tell you what to do, but I can share with you what NOT to do. " I looked at her and said, "I'll take it.". She went on to share with me her own experiences....her mistakes and for the first time, I felt like someone was really mentoring me and sharing her life with me. Not her perfection, Not just scripture, but herself and her heart!!
Oh what a treasure when you find someone willing to do this!!
This began to open my eyes up to what was really lacking in the church.
REAL WOMEN!!
Our church is filled with real women, with real problems, but again and again, I'd see women hugging and saying, "I'll pray for you.".
Inside my heart would die over and over every time I heard those words. I wanted to yell, "No!! She knows that you'll pray for her. What she wants to know is that she isn't alone!! That she's not the only one who feels like a BAD MOM!!"
Stop being fake and Open up!!!
(Thank the Lord for some self-control)
It wasn't in our perfection that we were saved by our Savior!! No!! It was in our imperfection. After all, we are saved because we KNOW that we are less than Perfect! WE are awful sinners, saved by the Lord's amazing, Perfect, Grace.
So why is it that once we're saved, we don't want to open up and be real??
I had a friend send me a link to a woman who was doing bible studies online. I thought, "Oh this is great." .. I got my coffee early that morning, sat down in front of my computer, clicked "play" and was startled by the OVERLY happy, too excited woman sitting in front of me.
She was SOOOOOO Excited to be reading the book of Leviticus. What?? No one is EVER excited to be reading through the book of Leviticus. I immediately clicked it off and never went back. I looked up at the Lord and said, "Please send me some real women.". In head in my mind, "Well, I have you.".
What?? No way!!! Not me.
I realized that if I wanted "Real" women, then I'd have to become that "real" woman. A woman who was willing to be transparent about her imperfections, her life and her amazing Savior who loves her anyway!!
That is scary!
Just recently a woman from my church called me "transparent", which always shocks me. I looked right at her and said, "That is not something I'm good at.".
So if you see me as being "Real" and "Transparent", that is ALL THE LORD.
One of my imperfections is keeping track of all we have to do in a week. I love these 11 x 14 posters that I've been printing out. I put them in a frame and use a sharpie to write down what is going on that week. Including dinner!! This is a great way for everyone in the house to see what is going on that day and week.
I have them printed at Walmart. 11x14 on matte paper. I put them in an 11 x 14 frame. I use a sharpie to write all our weekly events happening.
Here is a picture of our January Poster in use.
If you'd like to download January's Poster. Just click ---> Here
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| This is in a frame. I used Sharpie to add in the dates and events that we need to remember. I also added our dinners. |
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| Click Here to download |
Here is to a happy and blessed New Year!!
Laura,
Imperfect wife, mother, and follower of Christ
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