I have lots of friends who say they have a hard time when they read blogs because they begin to compare themselves to the blogger, or feel inadequate, or feel their home is inadequate, or feel their kids are dressed as cute, or feel their pictures aren't good, etc. etc. The list could go on forever, I think.
I am not immune to those thoughts. Heaven knows that as I browse the DIY and home decorating blogs, I look around my own home and begin dreaming and thinking about how I can make my house better. As I look at blogs that have beautiful pictures, I consume myself with trying to figure out how to take better pictures and edit them better. As I read blogs written by amazingly gifted writers, it makes me want to figure out how to write better. You get the picture. Do y'all do this?
There is nothing wrong with blogs or reading blogs I don't think. However, I have to catch myself and take my thoughts captive as it is so tempting to begin to doubt myself and a lot of times covet what others seemingly have. As a woman, comparison is such a trap! There are times I have to step back from my blog reading and even from my own blogging because I am caught in a trap of feeling inadequate. I'm not sure what the solution is. I really enjoy reading blogs and I love finding ideas and inspiration for crafty things or photography. I think I just have to be careful and check my heart and make sure that doing those things are not tempting my heart to turn to them for satisfaction or approval or identity.
So that brings me to my final point for you to know as you read my own blog...I am not perfect. I hope y'all see that. I hope I don't present this picture of a fairytale life on this blog. Of course, I like to put the most flattering pictures of me up and only put pictures where my kids are looking cute (and sometimes I even edit out scrapes and bruises - gasp). Often, I do write about the fun things I do and the pleasant things that happen in our family. And, yes I do tend to be able to get a lot done. So many people tell me they don't know how I do all that I do along with 3 crazy kids. Honestly, God made me to be a person who loves change and loves tasks and loves making/creating things. I have always been someone who likes to be busy and have lots of things to do. My problem is that many times I don't do all my things very well. Most days I feel hugely lacking in how I am raising my kids and how I am as a wife and how clean I am keeping my house (neat yes, clean not so much).
My desire for this blog is that it be real. That you guys see the real me and what it looks like to be a real family struggling to honor God as we raise our children. Struggling to see the holy in the mundane. Struggling to enjoy every moment. Struggling to trust when things are hard. Struggling to love God more. If it ever looks like our little life is perfect (which I'm pretty sure I don't portray that, but you never know) IT'S NOT! The only perfect person or thing in my life is Christ. I am most often a mess and struggling just to make it through the day without yelling at my kids too much or nagging at my husband...and then trying to make our home a peaceful comfortable place for my family.
And just because long posts are so much better with a pic...I present to you a completely unedited picture (crazy but cute girls, pinestraw covered patio, fern tipped over in the background, and not the best lighting) from last week when we spontaneously had a picnic lunch outside. That was a proud little mom moment for me...as I usually am too selfish to do fun things like that since it takes more effort:).
Thanks for letting me write and for keeping up with our family. I really still think it's crazy how many people actually care about checking in with us!
5 comments:
Thanks for keeping it real Rachel! Check my blog out and you can see a meltdown on the sidewalk and my child drinking out of the dog bowls all in the past week! Just real life with kids! I hear you though...I often try to crop the trash can out of the photo.
Hey! I have come to know that the more time I spend with Jesus, then the more time I long to spend with him. The more time I look at blogs, the more time I long to look at blogs and that is just a lose lose. So I go to Jesus and I want him more and the other easily fades into the background, then blogging becomes just an overflow of my time with the Lord and it is easier and the comparison thing becomes less of a struggle. I realized last year that the comparison issue can even exist in China (much much less but still there) and we simply cannot escape it but we can watch it become less as Jesus becomes more. Thanks for being real.
Great post and so true! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for writing that. That is and has been my problem with myself for years! I had almost given up trying to blog and mostly because of those things. Maybe I'll try to continue...I do think you younger folks have an easier time with posting photos and just documenting your lives. I know Ali Grace seems to document most eveything with pictures and I've never been much of a photographer. You do have a sweet family and a great life but I know it's not without struggles. I'm so glad to hear the great report about Samuel:) Love y'all!!
Great post Rachel!! And so true--like you said, as women, we're always fighting a natural urge to compare ourselves to other women, and blogs can definitely feed that struggle! Thanks for being refreshingly honest, and for sharing both the good and the bad with us :-)
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