Show Your Real: Kitty

Today's Show Your Real, is short and sweet, but the wisdom Kitty has managed to pack into what she has to share is pretty impressive. I'm inspired by how she was able to look at something seemingly silly (like a messy bedroom) and see the bigger truth God was trying to teach her. And I'm thankful that she is sharing that truth with us.

----------------------

There are two types of people in this world. Those who leave their master bedroom doors open when people come to their homes... ...and those who cannot. It's not that they will not, it's just that they cannot. It's that bad in there.  
A few months ago, my friend, Ruth, who also happens to be one of my husband's bosses, came in town. The regional directors were taking us out to dinner so she and I thought we'd hang out for a few minutes beforehand. We were short on time and I was a sweaty mess from the day, so the only way we were going to be able to actually visit was if she sat in my bedroom while I got ready. I'm typically a fairly laid back hostess, I want people to see my real so they are set free to bare their own, but something in me knew that the state of my bedroom had gone from slightly unkempt to completely horrific during the few days our bosses had been in town. As we walked down the hall past my perfectly vacuum-striped childrens' bedrooms, everything in me wanted to keep the door shut and not let Ruth see the real someone-might-need-to-call-the-hoarder-hotline deal. Ruth could sense my internal struggle as I warned her of the craziness she was about to see and she softly said, 

"Kitty, I love you for who you are, not what your house looks like. You are more valuable than your hope of perfection." This tender affirmation helped me push past the shame I felt about wanting everything to be perfectly kept and enabled us to have a great chat while I curled my hair. I've reflected on her quiet encouragement a lot recently and have had to repent of my striving and perpetual image management. Because what we see on Instagram really is the highlight reel but aren't the outtakes really the most fun? Yes, my home is an intimate reflection of me, but I want to be a person who is more secure in who I am because of Whose I am, than because of what my home looks like. Don't you?

Let's be people who let go of what we think the wrapping of a gift should look like and love the gift that is inside. Let's be people who open the doors and freely receive the love and acceptance of others. Shall we? #showyourreal
I've loved keeping it real with you! If you'd like to read more outtakes of life as a missionary, momma and majorly obsessed wife, stop by my blog or let's meet up on Instagram: @kitty_hurdle.

-------------------------------------------

Show Your Real is a series of guest posts centered around the concept of authenticity. The goal is to encourage each other to expose the reality of our lives- good and bad- and to foster a sense of community that goes beyond the often surface-y interactions of social media. And you're all invited to participate! Please write, caption, comment, link, and hashtag to spread the #showyourreal love. And if you would like to contribute a guest post to the series, please email me (cjsbowden@gmail.com).