Life certainly has its moments.
“You seem like you just have it all together.”
THAT. That is what a friend recently said to me.
Alrighty then.
While I appreciated the thought and the compliment, {who doesn’t appreciate a good compliment now and then?} this big part inside of me wanted to fall down on the floor and dissolve, totally dissolve, into loud, raucous, maniacal laughter.
I did laugh. But I refrained from the maniacal laughter. It tends to frighten people. Or I assume it does. I don’t generally go around trying it out.
And my husband is so used to me that he doesn’t bat an eye when I fall into the occasional fit of hysterical laughter over things like signs that read, “See live rattlesnakes. Pet the baby pigs.”
I also didn’t want to scare my friend or make her feel foolish by utterly and completely proving wrong her statement made to me. {all heart, I know, I know!}
Even though she was totally wrong. As I soon informed her.
I have never, ever, even once, ever, ever, come close to minutely feeling like I had it all together. EVER.
Never. Nope. Not once.
Most days I’m not even sure I’ve even got any of the edge pieces together!!
It’s so interesting how we perceive people. It’s easy to jump to conclusions on either side of the fence.
I listened as another friend shared her heart and some struggles with me. I’d have never guessed she was dealing with the discouragement and hard times and feelings pummeling her.
Perception is such a “thing”.
Sometimes we set someone up too highly and sometimes we misjudge a person’s intentions or discredit them when we are actually blind to the situation. We can’t see what they’re walking through or the pain they’re dealing with. Maybe they’re stuck in a job they would love to walk away from or maybe they’d like to move to a different community and the opportunities sprout and die.
Scenario after scenario. And we just DON’T know.
In all honesty, it wouldn’t be that much fun if we all went around with our imperfections glaringly obvious. Yet, I would never want to make my friend or anyone feel discouraged because she thought I had it all together.
There AIN’T no one out there who has it all together.
And I feel very strongly about this. You can know I feel very strongly about this, because I used the word AIN’T. Except “Ain’t ain’t a word because the teacher said it ain’t.”
All right. Instead of I used the WORD, ain’t, I used ain’t. I do not use the word ain’t. Or ain’t. So, that is how you know I feel strongly about it.
Let me repeat it.
There AIN’T no one out there who has it all together.
No one. Just not happenin’.
Comparisons aren’t realistic. I compare my apples to someone else’s pears. {And GUESS WHAT? I don’t even like pears.} I compare my inability to their ability. I forget that, yep, I have a lot of inabilities, but I do have abilities in other areas.
My friend was comparing her season of life with my season.
There are so many variables.
We’re two different people. What works for me, doesn’t for someone else. We may have common interests, but we also have different priorities and ways of doing things. We come from different backgrounds. We have different likes. Different preferences. Different goals.
She’s in the toddler season. My kids aren’t toddlers anymore. Yes, we’re both busy, but in different ways. Yes, it’s easy to look at someone else and see how smoothly it all looks on the surface.
Picture a creek or a stream or a river. Think about the water bubbling or babbling or rushing along.
Now put on your goggles and dive below the surface. It’s the same water, but it’s a whole different world and look when viewed from below the surface. Most of what is below the surface you can’t see from above. Only by exploring into the expanse of water underneath can you view the depths.
I don’t have it all together. But I do know Who holds me together.
I love this song by Casting Crowns.
Just Be Held.
And if you hear maniacal laughter wafting out of your computer, just know it’s me. But, hey, the feeling was nice for a little bit. That someone at least thought I had it all together! 😉
AMEN! and I can SO relate! I’ve had several people tell me lately that they just love my house – it’s so beautiful and just so magazine worthy. (Excuse me while I roll on the floor in maniacal laughter for a few minutes)
Whew – ok I’m back. I cackle in maniacal humor because this house that we call home is filled to bursting with biz stuff. Just outside any photo I share is a pile – or piles. Nothing is ever perfect and it certainly is NOT magazine worthy! It would take months to get it magazine worthy – and perhaps a studio space would have to materialize too to get all the biz stuff OUT OF HERE!
you are so right – it’s all about perspective. And my hubby doesn’t bat an eye over my maniacal laughter either. But hey, laughter is good for the soul – glad we came from a family line that has a good sense of humor.