The Appearance of Doing Something

One day, my friend Angie and I were talking about what we consider to be a productive day at home. I told her, "Oh, my favorite is when I have a load of laundry going, a load of dishes going, and dinner in the crockpot."

Ah, the crockpot. The person who invented it, I hope a woman, is to be forever honored and praised. Amen.

Yesterday, I knew Paul would soon be coming home for lunch, and I thought, oh, I better do a "fluff run" on the dryer. Then it will look like I'm doing something. So I ran in and set the dryer for ten minutes, you know, just to shake the wrinkles out. The dryer was conveniently running when he came home.

Then it hit me...I am caught up in the appearance of doing something. Two days before my Weight Watchers weigh-in, I buckle down and track my points and eat healthy fluff. Appearance. I went to our missions meeting at church the other night, but I hadn't spent time in God's Word that day. Appearance. I make piles on my desk so that it won't look quite so cluttered. Appearance. I always make my bed in the morning, thinking that the clothes that need hung up that are thrown over the chair won't be so noticeable if the bed is made. Appearance.

I realized that there are far too many things, big and small, that I do, well, just enough. I do enough to keep the house running. I do enough to keep us fed. I do enough to look like I've got it somewhat together.

But how many things are there in my life that require a little more than appearance? How many things require an extra mile? The accountability that I really am productive? A wise friend I know once said, "Thou shalt not jive thyself." Basically, that means, don't fool yourself into thinking that you are doing more than you are really doing. It's easy to do, trust me. It's easy to say "I'm doing Weight Watchers," even though I know it is loosely, at best. It is easy to say "I've been exercising," even though I find plenty of reasons to skip days. It is easy to say "I'm in a good place with God right now," when I know my effort has been thin.

I guess it is time for some self-evaluation. Time to see what areas I need to pick it up. Maybe I'm not fooling anyone with keeping up with appearances. Maybe I'm just jiving myself. Well, dinner is in the crockpot. I'm going to fold some laundry. And spend time in God's Word. And maybe, just maybe, my appearance might start to hold water.