I went for a walk in the park with a friend whose family has gone through extreme hardship for a very long time.
As we crunched through the snow, updating each other on our latest family dramas, she said wistfully, “Sometimes I look at those Christian families in church who have it all together, whose teenagers get good grades and are polite, who dress nicely and who I know can pay the bills and I say, ‘Lord, that’s what I want–just to be able to witness to you like that!’”
I stopped in my tracks and stared at her. “Are you kidding me?”
She gaped at me, confused. I sputtered, “You have one of the most Christian families I know! You work endlessly to stay faithful through awful circumstances. You pray constantly. You fall down and ask forgiveness, then pick up and keep going. That is witness! Forget the pretty appearances. You’re living for God, honey! It’s plain to anyone who cares to see it.”
She gave me a hug. We continued our walk and continued to talk, two imperfect women trying to serve their Lord and maker as best they can, even if on the surface our lives aren’t always neat and tidy.
