Lanza Letters: Time to Get Out theHose

Comparison. We're surrounded by it! We are constantly checking (whether purposefully or inadvertently) how we measure up to those around us? The thief of comparison comes in all shapes and sizes and it truly will steal our joy.

Is my house as clean and decorated as theirs?
Am I putting as much effort into my workout as this man killing it beside me at the gym?
How do my students' test scores compare to those at other schools?
I forgot to pray this morning, so I'm probably not as spiritual as they are.
She is like the perfect wife/mom; I can't compare to that.

If I'm being honest, these are the things I find my mind pondering throughout the day. And, I'm probably not alone. As if human nature didn't lend itself to the doom of comparison enough, we now have the wonderful world of social media.

Social Media - you don't have to look very hard to find someone obsessed with it. There are people in your church, workplace, family, the car next to you on the road, in front of you at the checkout counter, at the booth beside you at the restaurant, or maybe even YOU. They are all consumed with fake socializing - you know - the happy tweets, materialistic photos, funny snapchats, and bragging status updates.

When I say "they", I'm not pointing fingers, though. I'm right in the middle of it. Granted, I'm not saying that every person who uses or enjoys social media does so specifically in a materialistic, showy way; however, there are usually pictures and statuses that pop up on our feed that cause us to compare our lives to this "picture-perfect" (pun-intended) world depicted on the screen.

But, you see, things are not always what they seem. Then, again, sometimes they are. The point is that we are comparing ourselves to the lives, things, and accomplishments of others, and we may have no idea what aspects of life joyfully or painfully came before or after. In light of this, I've decided that I'm thankful that the disciples didn't have an Instagram (or other social media), or we would never know the awesome story of sacrifice that Jesus gave for us. We would only know the happy stuff. It's not too often that people share their heartache and darkest hours for the world to see. It's time to get REAL with each other (and that's a topic for an entirely different blog post).

Everybody is going through something - sometimes it's a valley and sometimes it's a mountaintop. Just because all you see are the picturesque views of their mountaintop does not mean it's time to start comparing life snapshots. I read a book recently that mentioned the following simple, yet wise notion:

The grass that looks greener is the one that is being watered.

So, maybe it's just that you need to get out the hose!

...and in the event that the storms of your life are providing enough rain right now, take advantage of that soft, muddy dirt you are currently calling life, and use it plant some new seeds of faith, hope, and trust in our Father. It will take time and continued care, but those seeds WILL grow in time and the sun will shine again.

So, take out that hose and start watering the areas of your life that you often find yourself unpleasantly comparing to those around you. Don't fret over the mess you can't help. As my grandfather used to help remind me:

Even the most beautiful gardens often come as the result of a little manure.

Don't compare -- TAKE CARE of what you do have and what you are, and ENJOY it!! :)

In keeping with this blog post, Paul and I were recently invited to attend
the Inventor's Ball in Huntsville this past week. It was such an honor to
be invited; yet, initially I was so focused on comparing how I would match
up to such big named attendees from our city. That's partly where the idea
for this post came from. I finally realized to just enjoy this opportunity.
After all, we were some of the youngest in attendance by far. I could have
spent the night comparing their accomplishments, income, and lifestyles
to my own - however, I made the choice to enjoy the blessings and opportunities
that we had been given to enjoy such a lovely night and not worry about the rest.


By the end of the night, we had attended a very nice event TOGETHER, and that was what mattered. In fact, my $3.99 dress, paired with my shoes that BROKE (yes, both of them), simply made for a fun night that fit US and was just as PERFECT as could be. I quit COMPARING and just TOOK CARE of what I had. I'm so glad I did!!