Unlike most stay at home moms, I am not a fan of DIY projects. Mostly because I am not creative when it comes to things such as decorating, designing, crafting, cooking…you get the idea. I cannot foresee the finished product. I lack vision.

But on this rare occasion, I decided I would try something I saw on Pinterest. My husband and I recently bought the house we had been renting, and I was excited to update the guest bathroom and make it my own. I knew I couldn’t do anything fancy (reality of a one income family), but I saw something on Pinterest that looked fancy, easy and didn’t cost much….so I went for it.

You can see in the pictures above that it is still a work in progress. Mostly because when you open the cabinets, you can see that I’ve painted only the outside…The inside is still the same old, builder-grade finish. Looking at the half completed cabinets reminds me of how we sometimes present ourselves to the world. Everything on the outside looks good…looks put together. When in reality what is on the inside is something completely different…something unfinished and unrefined.

Am I the only one guilty of this? We live in a world where society expects us to present the side of ourselves that is “finished”… ladies, you know what I am talking about, right? Before I had kids, I was in great shape, I dressed my best at all times, and I wanted everyone to think that I didn’t care what they thought. Silly huh?

Now don’t misunderstand. There’s nothing wrong with being in shape, dressing nice and being confident. (In fact, I need to start working out again…I can only use the “just-had-a-baby-card” for so long). The problem occurs when those qualities don’t match what is on the inside…I’m talking about a heart issue. If our hearts are full of greed, envy and pride… if our hearts are being crushed by the insecurities that plague us… if our hearts are continually crying out in despair…then we are no different than my fancy new cabinets that look great on the outside, but are mediocre & lacking on the inside.

God wants more for our lives. He wants us to be children of integrity. He wants to finish and mold us on the inside. Are you going through a rough season in your life? Do you feel as though your can barely make it through the day? A wise friend recently posted to my Facebook that “We feel the strength of our anchor when we feel the power of the storm.” Who (or what) is your anchor?

Gideon’s diagnosis did not cripple me like I thought it would; although I know we have a long road and many hurdles ahead of us. I’ve never felt more love, support and strength in my entire life. I think that has to do with how I have chosen to allow God to work out my circumstances, and also to shape my view of Him. Rather than turning from Him in hard times, I’m doing my best to lean into Him…to let Him redeem every circumstance. For many years now He’s been refining what’s inside. I’m not finished yet; but I am “confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Where are you right now? Are you like my cabinets?… Finished on the outside, but lacking on the inside? Or are you choosing to trust and allow God to refine and refinish you…the way you were meant to be? (1 Peter 1:7) I hope you are trusting the Carpenter…Because if we’re honest with ourselves, we always are (and always will be) a work in progress.

Have a happy Monday!