Pinterest Perfect

There I stood in my galley kitchen huff'n and puff'n over how my peeler is shredding my carrots. The nerve. I didn't own one of these peelers until recently. I've been married for almost 7 years!  How did I manage?  Well, honestly I did just great. There were a few times I thought about having one or needing one but we made do with a good old trusty knife! 

Recently while babysitting, Alivia and the little girl I watch acquired a taste for carrots. Not the cute little baby carrots, oh no can't have the ones already cut up nicely for you, they wanted whole carrots roughly the size of their arms.  So as I reached for my friends peeler my eyes were taken back by its sleekness and then I placed it in my hand and ran it down the carrot and my mouth dropped. (I don't get out much) it was smooth, lightweight, and very durable. In no time I had that carrot peeled. I was in love. 

Fast forward to me huffing and puffing....my peeler wasn't cutting it anymore. We are breaking up. It's big, bulky and the peels stay on the carrot creating more work for me. I just don't like it anymore after using hers. 

As I look outside I let out a sigh. Our neighbors are getting their lawn mowed. He owns a landscaping company so it is only fitting to have his yard done and their landscaping looking like it came right out of better homes and gardens magazine. I look at our yard and see Barkley half covered in our over grown grass. I look at all the places we need mulch and the weeds that are overtaking my flower beds. There is so much to do. 

My eyes go back to the carrots and I continue with the peeling. I hand Alivia a carrot and get on my computer for a bit while she has a snack. I go to Pinterest. I immediately see prestine porches adored in ferns and candles, skinny girls in jcrew outfits, DIY projects galore and ways to be a better wife. I can only think of where I'm lacking in those areas. My overgrown porch, love handles, goodwill clothes, half finished projects and the fight I just had with my hubby!  I could be better, I need to be better. 

What if I never saw my friends peeler or looked at my neighbors yard or got onto Pinterest.  What if I didn't see any of that? Would I still feel inadiquate? Maybe a little but I think I would be content with exactly what I needed and have because I wouldn't know any better. 

We are so hard on ourselves and we are constantly comparing ourselves with others.  Could we train ourselves to not look over that fence and see the greener grass. This is what God teaches Samuel:

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."-1 Samuel 16:7

Lets change our earthly perspective of our lives to a Godly one and stop comparing ourselves to others. Lets start focusing our minds on the heart issues. That's what matters to God, not perfectly cut grass or a kitchen that has been pinned far to many times for its elagant cabinets & glamorous appliances. God did not put us here on earth to compare and fight to keep up with the jones's. He put us here to love and serve others, to bring others to know him and pursue a greatness within our hearts.