What You See Is What You Get

If you were in conversation with someone and they mentioned someone’s name, what first comes to mind? What do you first think of, about that person? If someone said your name, what do you think they would right away think of?

That is the question I kept thinking about after attending my husband’s grandma’s memorial service back in June. I wondered “what would people say about me?” As a dear cousin and friend of grandma talked about her life, we found ourselves laughing at the trivial things, but also the things that made grandma who she was. What you saw was what you got.

As “plain” as that sounds, that is what I hope people will one day say about me – what you saw was what you got.

As a believer in Christ, I think there is reason to be who we were created to be and have that “what you see is what you get” mentality:

1 Peter 4:10 – Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Psalm 139:14 – I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

How many of us go through life, wishing we were someone else? Wishing we looked like someone else? Wishing we had the life of someone else? Wishing our home looked like someone else’s? Wishing, wishing, wishing?

Like I’ve heard it said before, we often compare 100% of ourselves to another person’s 10%. We only know just a portion about their life, and in reality, if we knew the other 90%, would we really wish we were like them? You follow a celebrity or something you look up to on Facebook or Instagram and think “oh I wish my hair looked like that!” The thing is, do you take pictures of yourself, at your worst? I know I sure don’t, and they do not either. We post pictures of our best, and portray our life to be that way. I am so guilty of that! Trust me, my hair is nothing to instagram!

Do you see yourself as valuable? As uniquely created? As someone people look up to?

So again, if someone said your name, what would they think of? Would you be proud or happy about what they said? That is a challenge to myself to live my life the way God created me to be, and not be anyone else!