Honest Post: Social Media, Comparison + Freedom

HONEST POST: Social media can be incredibly inspiring while also leaving us feeling incredibly unworthy and not enough as we compare ourselves to our sisters around us. What you see are the highlights of others but very rarely do you see the broken pieces behind the scenes. You see the girl that seems unstoppable and winning at life yet you don’t know all that the Lord has asked her to walk through to get her there. Let me just say this, humans are all humans. We all struggle. We all have broken bits and wounds and heartaches and some of us share about it but most of us are scared to say it out loud because of fears of what others might think. Will they still love me? What will they think? What will they say? But hear me on this, those that judge you are already judging you so stop letting them control you. There is freedom in speaking your truth. “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32)
I use to live in so many judgements of others until the Lord, in His great love for me and my soul, let me walk through hell and back. I ate a thanksgiving table full of humble pie. Now I know what it’s like to go from owning our own home to losing everything and being so broke that the food we served our children was from someone anonymously dropping off groceries on our front porch. I know the shame it feels being pregnant on my forth and walking in a grocery store with three other kids in tow and paying for food with government assistance. Like I couldn’t even look at the grocery store worker because if I did I’d cry my eyes out in embarrassment (which is what I did as soon as I got back in my van). I know what it’s like to have people that call themselves Christians lie about my family and try to destroy every opportunity we had. I know what it’s like to be so hurt and broken by the church that I never want to step foot in one again. I know what it’s like to have painful brokenness in my marriage with no hope of it getting better. I know what it feels like to think that I’m failing as a mama to my babies that I would do anything for but feel like I have nothing to give. I know what it feels like to have a body that feels broken and sick and have no idea how to get better. I know what if feels like to hide from the world because I don’t know how to face it. I know what it’s like to feel like the only way I’ll find just a little bit of peace is having that glass or two or more of wine at night. I know deep shame. BUT I also know true FREEDOM from all of that because of that radical, fierce, powerful, redeeming work of Jesus. It easy to look at others, or maybe some of you reading this have even thought this of me, that things just come easy to some and not to you. But it’s not true. Hard hits everyone. But Jesus shows no favoritism. He helps all those that come to Him. He’s set me free from so much and brought in waves of healing and freedom and blessing so abundantly that I’m consistently ugly crying in worship because I sometimes can’t believe where we are today. I don’t take for granted how hard I belly laugh with my husband because I’m in awe of what God has done. I don’t take for granted that I have the money to go to the grocery store and buy food for my family. I don’t take for granted the healing work that has happened to my heart, my husband’s heart and our children’s hearts at our church and that it’s a safe place for us to be. I don’t take for granted that my peace is found in Jesus alone. 
No matter what you’re walking through, there is freedom and hope and healing to be found in Jesus. Nothing or no one is too far. Beauty from ashes. Joy from tears.