Oh no, PRESSURE!!

So Abbie from All in His design was so sweet to feature me on her "Whoo's Day is Tuesday?" feature where she interviews her blogger friends. So now I feel obligated to break out of this writer's blocked shell I have been hiding in and write something note-worthy. Just in case one of her loyal readers happens to wander over, I wouldn't want to embarrass my new friend before we've ever even had a chance to share a cup of coffee. (Guess this means I can't just steal off Compassion India's blog for this one??)

So on to the pressure... funny post?? enlightening?? fall back on Compassion?? Can't you just see my fingers hovering over the keyboard in dead air??

So, under the pressure, I started thinking about pressure. Why do we do it to ourselves? I really can't say that it's a sin like worrying, cause I've never found "nervous wreck" in the KJV. Maybe I should search in "The Message"??

• The pressure we have to keep a clean house. Why?? Why is it that when friends are coming we do the 'dash and hide' trick to make it look like we keep our house that clean all the time? Why is it that once we feel comfortable with someone, we are o.k. with letting the trash fill the can and the stacks of clean laundry litter the chair and not bat an eyelash? Shouldn't we just come out with that to begin with? "Hey, this is ME and MY house. Like it or leave it." (Unless it's your mom visiting, then it's the obligatory clean house - cause we would all hate to be written off as the black sheep prematurely.)

• The pressure to look good. Again, why?? Why do we eat salads in front of people we want to impress but then gorge on the double cheeseburger on our lunch hour, in the safety of our personal vehicle (with the Diet Coke, I might add!!). Why do we really worry about whether or not these shoes go with this dress, or these shoes?? Our husbands could care less, and who else do we really think is looking at our feet?? And make-up?? If Goldie Hawn and Pamela Anderson can venture out to the 7-Eleven al'naturel, why do I have to get eyeliner on to run to Wal-Mart?? Do I really think Mable behind the register cares that much??

• The pressure to be the perfect mom. Why do we smile at our misbehaving child in the grocery, bend over eye to eye and say, in a demented/demonic sort of voice, "if you don't stop that right now.... I will severely have your hind when we get home..." Why the smiles? Do we really think that Floyd the grocer is happy to see the tantruming toddler's mother sweetly smile and just keep on pushing? Don't you think the public deserves to see us just lay into the screaming banshee right then and there?

• And what about the PTO mom??? Do I really need to be at every book fair, cook out, and secretary appreciation day to show I care about the little angel that threw himself down in the middle of the fruit aisle?? If I only show up for one event, do I still get a "Thanks for Participating" ribbon, but "sorry you don't value your child's education enough to volunteer like we all do" look?? Honestly, I have to say - I was only able to go to ONE of Braeden's field trips this year. And feel like a total failure. I'm not a stay-at-home mom... I'm not a home-school mom... I MUST not love my kids. Can't find that in the KJV either, but I'm sure the thought is there somewhere.

• The pressure to be the perfect Christian. Wow. Do I pray enough?? I don't get to read my Bible every day, I'm sure God is shaking His head over me now. Have I invited anyone to church lately? Any random acts of kindness? I haven't booked any more Compassion presentations, I'm just sure that He's regretting His decision to send a lazy daughter like me all the way to Africa. What a waste!!

"Pressure" - didn't find it in the KJV... but I did find these......

• Clean house - "Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. " Proverbs 19:14 (so my being a good wife is a gift to my husband. Not my being a good maid...)
  

• Looking good - "The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord." Psalm 45:11. (so even with no eye-liner - the LORD is enthralled by MY beauty. Not pleased, but enthralled... puts a whole new spin on my need to loose 10 pounds....)
  

• The Perfect Mom - "The Lord tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." Isaiah 40:11 (so even when I screw up, even when I loose my patience - God still leads me gently toward the mother he would have me to be...)
  

• The Perfect Christian - "By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect." 1 Corinthians 15:10. AND.. "God mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble." Proverbs 3:34.
  

And since grace can't be earned, but is a free gift of love - nothing I do will make me better or worse in His eyes. He would rather me fall down on my face under pressure and beg for His help than to stand up and try to do it all by myself anyway. Which is what I try so often to do. Don't know about you - but just to remember that is a load off my back... my kids don't need a perfect mom, my husband doesn't need a perfect wife, "I am what I am" and that sounds pretty close to perfect to me.