Bigger Picture Moments: Coloring Inside the Lines

During the past few months especially, I've been pondering the illusion of perfection or "good" because I've felt pressure to color inside the lines.

Like a bottle under pressure, I began feeling like I might explode if I kept it up.

And whose lines are these anyway?

As I began dissecting it in my head and in conversation, I realized they are ones defined by our culture, our society and our communities.

It's not impossible to color inside all of those many and differing lines because many of them overlap.

But what I've found is that it IS impossible to keep my colors inside ALL of those lines AND still be the me who God created me to be.

I have a few relationships that I've spent time cultivating since we renounced "busy" in our house and have been taking steps to slowly relinquish the responsibilities we don't feel fit with our values of intimacy, family, friendship and loving God and our season of life. Specifically, I've been focusing on growing my relationship with God, which has been an exploration of understanding more of who He is and more of who He really created me to be.

During this time, I've also been cultivating my marriage and a few friendships, specifically, that have encouraged me toward seeking more of God's heart for me. And in this, I've been challenged by people who know me well to simply be who God created me to be. These people have loved me in my imperfections and embraced me as I've struggled through my growing pains and with understanding who God really says He is and who He says I am.

He says He is
Restorer. Savior. Creator. Perfecter. Author. Good. The Beginning. The End.

And He says I am beloved. And that I've been wonderfully and fearfully made. That I am gift, not a burden. And that I've been created to walk next to people through all kinds of relationships, be an advocate for the least of these and be a careful crafter of story and beauty and passion that moves hearts closer to Him.

These understandings of who God is and who He created me to be have afforded me the freedom to color outside of the lines. And as I've sought God in this, I've realized His lines are a whole lot different than the ones I've been trying to stay inside.

I've found that in coloring inside of God's lines -- the ones where we love and obey Him and love others and ourselves -- there's a lot more freedom to be myself.

Five-Minute Friday: Welcome

There's nothing tidy about this well-lived in space we call home.

It's almost always dusted with little pieces of Earth around the doorways, signs that small feet have shuffled in and out at least a dozen or more times during the morning hours.

Almost always there are toys strewn across the wooden floors, carpeting and stairs alike, little crumb trails from two busy worker ants who've been hard a play all afternoon.

The bathroom vanity bulbs are forever on, shedding light across the scattered toothbrushes and various toothpastes.

At least a small pile of dishes always lines one edge of the counter, glasses branded and marked with small fingerprints.

Tall prairie grasses always line the flower beds, sharing space with bright yellow lillies, trying to disguise the fact they are weeds.

And chairs are never all perfectly placed around the table because two tiny people are constantly rearranging and transforming the furniture into more useful things, like ladders.

I've struggled with all but shutting and locking the doors to the outside world, weary of welcoming anyone into this space where I spend more time living and enjoying than I spend cleaning and organizing.

But as the days pass, and the children grow older, morph and all the dust and dirt stay the same as it's always been, I've pushed myself to invite despite the mess.

Because, I have to imagine, nothing says hello, lays out the welcome mat for acceptance and friendship, quite like simply being who we are.

And, right now, who we are is loud. And laughter-filled. And passionate. And emotional {for better or worse}. And messy.