The lie of Pinterest perfection

My best friend (and new Mama) and I were discussing last night the ill side effects of Pinterest (and the internet, social media, blogs and Facebook).

But more specifically, Pinterest.

Now, first of all, I love Pinterest.

It has given me some great ideas and is a great way to organize the little things I found amongst blogs so that I can find them again when I need them.

However, there is a bad side of it all.

A feeling like every other woman, mom and teacher has their lives all put together, and I don't.

But, my friends, Pinterest is a lie.

People never "pin" the real life.

They pin the fantasy.

For example, I've pinned pictures of our basement remodel.

Here's the pic I've pinned for the world to see:

Ah, organized, straightened up...perfection.

But here's how it looks now (and how it looks about 70% of the time...)

Tada.

Hopefully many of you can relate.

I now have a mobile, very curious son, a busy life and a hatred of laundry.

But do I pin or blog with these images? No.

Why not?

Because I want to look like I have it all together.

But I don't.

Who is that helping?

I've pinned more than 1700 items.

I've *maybe* only actually tried about a dozen or so of them.

Do I make my own cleaners? No (except for laundry detergent...I do actually do that!)

Are all our dinners organic, clean and from scratch each night? Heck no.

Do I use 20 coupons per single item so I get paid to shop. Nu-uh.

Have I crafted a dozen things from a single sheet of scrap book paper? Well...close. But no.

Here's another humbling example.

An absolutely gorgeous kitchen I had pinned.

Reality?

Dirty dishes in the sink and crud on the counter tops.

I say all this as an encouragement.

I strive to keep my home in order, food on the table, planning creative activities all while saving money.

But, the perfection projected onto Pinterest simply isn't feasible.

Our children know we love them by the quality time we spend with them. The memories we make.

Not by whether we did every one of the 101 Activities with Toddlers we had pinned a year ago.

Guests know we care for them by the climate of our home as we greet and minister to them. Not by always having fresh-cut roses on the dinner table and perfect appetizers waiting for them.

Our husbands know we love them by praying for them, helping raise their children, laughing with them, running errands, working, throwing dinner together and clipping coupons. Not by an immaculate house that has never seen dust, gourmet dinners and a rockin' 6 pack.

I love to learn from other women and their strengths, but be encouraged that God has created you as a unique woman, mom and wife. You bless your family and others in the way that He created you.

So let's not beat ourselves up or hide behind the mask of perfection. 

The only perfect one is our Lord and Saviour. Pretending to be perfect ourselves is minimizing his Lordship in our lives.

As a reminder to myself, I often read this short little story about Mary and Martha in Luke

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feetlistening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

                                         Luke 10:38-42

So often, I find myself trying to be Martha. Having everything perfect, and not having my focus being where it should. I should be resting at the feet of Jesus. Not running around with the world searching for perfection. Only with the correct focus on life can I truly be happy.