Meet the Real Me...

On into chapter three...this is going to be a good one!

Joanna confides on page 25 of our book, "My sister Linda knew it all along. We were in the middle of one of our notorious teenage squabbles when she pulled out her secret weapon, the one thing that could bring me to my knees. 'They all think you're so wonderful,' she sneered, her blue eyes narrowing, her little pug nose twisting with the effort. 'If they only knew what you're really like.'"

Hmmm...that has always been my biggest fear. I didn't grow up with a sister to point that fact out to me...but no need...I did it to myself. "Oh, Deena, if those people at church knew who you really were..."

I still do it today. Hide, pretend, and then worry, "What if they all find out?" And not just at church either...

In fact, my oldest sister just recently told me that she had never known the real me. I was so busy trying to be what I thought everyone expected me to be that I kept hiding the real me. I buried the parts I thought weren't pretty, parts that I thought would push others away.

Ha! Turns out those tend to be the characteristics that people tend to like most about me. Some of which are my quirky/weird sense of humor, my tendency to overdramatize life's events, and my no-nonsense way of accomplishing my goals (remind me to tell you the story about the parking space at Christmastime!).

But my sister also told me that by hiding who I truly was, I made people uncomfortable to be around me. See, it also turns out that people can sense fakery (no that's not a real word, but I like it...).

And it drives them away.

People need to know it's safe to be real. That it's ok to struggle. That we're all working out this life journey, one step at a time.

My husband and I saw a little boy walking along a crosswalk. He slipped and nearly did the splits, but caught himself quickly. Hands stuffed in his pockets, his head cocked in an "I meant to do that" attitude, he slumped along to the other side of the street. How silly! He should have laughed and enjoyed the moment, relieved that he caught himself.

We've got to realize that inside of us lives a twisted sister of some sort. She wants out, and pretending she's not there does no one any good.

Let's work together to get it together, and when we don't...let's cry, pray, and have fun anyway. I admit it---I'm cranky, forgetful, moody, and laugh WAAYY too loud in public. But I also love deeply, think a lot, and am absolutely crazy about my God.

That's the real me...and I'm still workin' on it.

How about YOU??

Deena

P.S. This is a rich chapter...be prepared for a lot of thoughts from me...try to get a word in now and then so I'm not totally talking to myself, k?? LOL!