Be Real!

 

Are you different in public than you are with the people close to you? We all put on a certain “public”face, but if that face is soooo different than what you are in private, then I’d challenge you to see yourself in a different light….be real.

Years ago my brother talked to me on the phone, he was excited to be hosting a speaker that was coming to their local church. After the preacher had come I visited with him again, and he said “what he was on stage wasn’t what he was in private.” The preacher put on a great show on the stage in front of hundreds of people but in the privacy of their home just wanted to be left alone and didn’t visit with my brother and his family like he had hoped. I remember his disappointment.   

I also experienced something similar when the company I worked for put on a special Triennial meeting and we hired a Christian Comedy team to come preform. I’d seen them before and was soooo thrilled to be the one to pick them up from the airport. Man, was I disappointed in their “lack” of enthusiasm in regular real life. It truly was an “act” and in real life they didn’t hold the sunshine or vigor I’d expected at all even in normal conversation! I didn’t expect a free “show”but I expected interaction on a normal conversation basis….it just didn’t happen. Tainted how I viewed them from then on.

Lately Teen conversations in our household around how do you act in church, now how do you act in school? Are they the same?  Would you say that in front of your youth pastor? Are you different around certain friends than others? These same questions remain for adults too!  Are you different at the work place than you are on a Sunday morning?

I guess how I interpret this is that we need to be real as Christians. Not glossing our lives over, hiding our true selves under a rock. The Hollywood scene shows us many examples of poor living – as Christians we are called to be real. 

Imperfect and all, be your true self.  As I age, and accept my imperfections, I constantly remind my kids I don't necessarily care if their friends think I'm wierd or fat...I've nothing to prove to them.  I'm compfy in my our skin and not seeking their approval when they don't even talk to me or know me!  I remember being embarassed that my Mom wore fortrel pants instead of jeans....but it had nothing to do with who she was inside - a dedicated Mom who loved us, did and still does so much for us....so I know this teen image thing  and therefore admit I’m as loud mouthed, opinionated, ornery, imperfect, chatty and obnoxious in real life – just get to know me…..oh and warning, I’m fun too!

2014 runs like an Impala

Phew – between Christmas and New Years then school starting with basketball…things are moving right along in 2014 and it is going to be a good year! Two boys in basketball, I accidentally on purpose put Sophia on two Bball teams….the girl is growing like a weed and needs to be active.  Tumbling has her working on coordination too.  Courtney has been getting her grades up and is eager for track to start.  Speed clinic will be right around the corner in March.

Throwback 1980’s – my first “car” to speak of owned by my Dad but driven by me, was a 1968 Chevy Impala, rusted to pieces by the salt of Manitoba – it had some serious punch and I can still feel the smooth steering wheel as I slide mentally onto those shiny vinyl rowed seats.  It was my solo grad car – the big thing was to make tissue flowers and decorate your cars…..so I made over 2,000 of them and literally hid the rust.   

Was fun….driving down the gravel road and watching the tissues fly away.  I’d broken up with my boyfriend, so I went solo to the grad (we don’t call it prom in Canada!).  Me and 6 gals piled into my car and had a blast together. In 2008 – my Dad, who was a very big Buick man, actually purchased a new Chevrolet Impala.  This was the last car he’d purchase and drive as he passed away in 2011.  Mom, needing a smaller car to fit into her tight condo parking spot, graced me with this car this January.  She’d be mad for me typing this, but she scraped the side on her parking spot – got it fixed, then dimpled the bumper a few weeks later but decided not to turn it in on insurance so I inherited the dimple.  My brother Jim (RIP 2009) had HUGE dimples….Ok, back on track.  So I ordered a new plate deeming her "Dimple." 

 

She gets better gas mileage than commuting in a mini van with only me in it so this saves me $$ every week!  And it is sentimental in that my Dad picked it out….like my first car.

I’m thinking the dimple will make people go “oohhh, see that bumper – be careful of that driver!”  “Don’t get close to her, she doesn’t care because her car is dinged anyway!”  - you know, that mentality people have when they see a “rough” looking vehicle and they are driving in some stylin’ wheels. It is sort of like people, when we judge a person by their looks without looking inside at who they are and seeing their heart/soul.  If they dress nice – they must be nice.  Wrong. 

Lately the talks about “words” to others regarding name calling and bullying have been subjects we seem to be forced to deal with a bunch at home.  I preach “don’t call names!” to the kids…but they do.  One got “clocked” the other week for calling someone something inappropriate and it doesn’t matter that they called you it first!  Trying to pound this into teen heads is hard.  Another got into a fight defending her siblings from someone who was calling them names.  Still – don’t’ get pulled in!  Be the bigger person, turn the other cheek.  Lessons Jesus holds us to live out.  So….our work continues on.  Dimple and me – we know lots of things and are OK with the way we are ~ flawed but forgiven and loved regardless.

 In Nature there's not blemish but the mind; none can be called deformed but the unkind. Virtue is beauty, but the beauteous evil. Are empty trunks, o'er flourished by the devil. ~ William Shakespeare