I love pinterest. LOVE it. It's like I can go shopping without spending a dime. Feel crafty without gluey messes. I can be a chef in my own little world without any prep work or clean up. And to top it off I can do all three (or more) things at the same time.
I've come to love looking at creative manicure/nail designs. I have the most creative, almost famous, lady in my life who does my nails. When I go see here it's like I am transported to another world. I don't answer my phone, or have any responsibilities. I get to listen to the chatter of those around me and share with her my two week update on what's been happening with me. It's amazing. It's also fun. Because she is so stinkin' creative I get to dream about what I might want next on my nails. And, she does it. It's just that simple. And when I have her do a design and she likes it I feel like a hand model for just a moment as she has me "pose" for a picture. See, pretty incredible right?
Back to pinterest. I've become, in my own mind, somewhat famous. Sick, right? I mean really, come on. How can I even say that? Well, I have pinned a whopping 455 nail designs and have ladies now following just this one board filled with only inspiring designs for my next gel manicure.
So this has had me thinking for awhile about "following". What does it mean? Something my amazingly talented friend who designs works of art on my fingertips and I have in common is the love of thesauruses and dictionaries. It's the nerd in me that loves looking up the meaning of words, synonyms and all that jazz. So, what does any word loving woman do, but look up "following" on my dictionary app installed directly on my smart phone. Just writing that sentence makes me want to look up synonyms. Sick.
So the root word of following is follow. I'm going to start there. Follow is a verb. It's an action.
1. To come after in sequence, order of time, etc.
2. To go or come after; move behind in the same direction.
3. To accept as a guide or leader; accept the authority of or give allegiance to.
4. To conform to, comply with, or act in accordance with; obey.
5. To imitate or copy.
6. To move forward along (a road, path, etc).
7. To come after as a result or consequence; result from.
8. To go after or along with (a person) as a companion.
9. To go in pursuit of.
10. To try for or attain to.
11. To engage in or be concerned with a pursuit.
12. To watch the movements, progress, or course of.
13. To watch the development of or keep with.
14. To keep up with and understand.
WOW! The geek in me is super happy right now. That's honestly way more than I thought I would find.
Pinterest is a silly, unimportant, trivial and time wasting device. But it does have me thinking. If I have 263 followers on my pinterest, how many followers do I have in my life? In the real world, where shopping does cost money, crafts do get sticky, and I am so far from a chef the word shouldn't even come from my lips.
This leads me to ask some real questions. What are people following? Why are they following? Where are they following me? Who is following me? And how can I live my life in a way that all of those action definitions above are worthy of being followed.
What are people following? First, I'm a real woman. A woman with fears, failures, disappointments, frustrations, muffin tops (not the ones I want to eat!), dreams, plans, painted nails, pajamas on right after work, and so much more. But above all of this, I am a woman who loves Jesus. I love Jesus. If I were to be known for one thing in life I wouldn't want it to be that I was driven, motivated, caring, committed, fun, trustworthy, or honest. All of those things are great, and I would want them to be true, but I want people to know that I love my Jesus.
Why follow me? Do I live a life with passion, joy, and love? Or do I merely make it through the day only to get it up early to do it all over again? Do I reflect Jesus in my life? Are my actions, words and thoughts even what I would want others to follow? There are days that I wouldn't want anyone to follow me. Other days I am proud of how I went about my day. Either way, the why is a question I need to ask myself more often.
Where am I headed? I love quotes. LOVE them. See, total nerd. But, one I really like says if you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. I know where I am going. I am headed to my Father's House. The one He's prepared for me. Does the road there have stops and starts along the way? Yes! His word reminds us that in this world we will have trouble, but take joy! He has overcome the world.
Who is following me? Good question. Do I live my life in a way that inspires anyone to follow me? And if I do the who then can get pretty mind boggling. Is it the co-workers I see over 50 hours a week, or is it my husband and son who I adore and often times feel like I see less than I should, or is it those I interact with at the grocery store, or maybe it's my "friends" on Facebook, or could it be the community of believers I see every Sunday at church? Who???? I pray that there are a lot of "whos" in my life.
Finally, how will I lead? Will my life reflect the forgiveness of my Savior or stay mundane and tainted with this world's lies? Will I lead as a servant, wanting my actions to reflect God's love and care for each of us? Or do I want to be puffed up and seen as "having it all together"? How do I live my life each day with obstacles, expectations, dissatisfaction, and complaints to reflect the awesomeness of my Provider who takes care of my every need and knows my future?
If I had a pinterest of my life what would be on the boards? Would I have 263 followers who want to copy what I have done? I am not so sure. I'm challenged today to evaluate the application of my life to ensure I am reflecting the purpose of my God in my life.
Proverbs 31:30 will always be my all time favorite scripture. It says, "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."
I don't desire praise from my peers (although it sure does feel good, right?), but rather to be a woman that makes my Abba Father proud as I follow in His footsteps. I am on a great adventure to be His follower.
No comments:
Post a Comment