12Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.13Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
While at the Faith Filled Mom retreat last weekend, there was an entire round table discussion dedicated to ‘Breaking the Facade’. As I sat and listened, I thought of all the ways I present a facade, or a superficial appearance to others. I realized that it causes me stress and causes those around me to see me in a false light. Only my closest friends and family know the real, true me.
Want some examples?
Look around this blog. Do I ever complain about my children? Not at all. At home, I’ve been known to lose my temper …. a LOT, and yell at everyone. There are many days I have apologize to my little ones and cry right along with them.
Am I super organized, as I sometimes seem? HARDLY. As I sit here writing, I seriously have at least 10 loads of laundry to wash, fold and put away. Sigh.
Do I have myself all together? NOPE. Only with the support and prayers of my husband plus weekly visits to my therapist, I’m finally learning how to juggle and manage my house of cards.
Am I an incredibly pious Christian, and perfect Catholic? You’ve got to be kidding me! For Lent, I’m attempting to curb my sailor swearing. (only somewhat successfully) I’m also convinced that God placed me in my role as an Emergency Room nurse as a constant reminder to see the good in every person, no matter how distasteful I find them. It’s a huge struggle for me.
The next time you hit the playground and see a perfectly dressed mother, without a hair out of place, playing with her well-behaved beautiful children; instead of being jealous, let it go. Chances are great that what you’re seeing is a facade – a perfect portrait for the world to see. Instead of worrying about how we look to others, we should be concerned with a much greater goal for our souls.
We’re about halfway through Lent, so it’s a great time to look at your goals, and chart your progress. I’ve already admitted that my swearing needs a lot of work, and poor St Joseph needs some attention from me this week as well. I found this wonderful resource for Stations of the Cross with children from Lacey over at Catholic Icing, and I’m planning on using it this week.
Need some inspiration about reassessing your life’s direction? Today is the feast day of Blessed Francis Faa di Bruno. After many years of charitable works for the poor, he studied for the priesthood, and after the approval of Pope Pius IV, he was ordained at the age of 51!
Drop me a comment, and let me know how your Lent is progressing. Have a marvelous week!
This was a great post, and oh so true.
I don’t necessarily think you’re presenting a facade though…more just focusing on the positive. The reality is, life is both good and bad, high and low points, but I’d much rather focus on the good stuff and let the bad moments go.