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Because it really has to go. (the big red bow, that is) Not only is it unrealistic, but incredibly difficult to maintain. It’s fragility begs us to tiptoe, and if we try something new, we must be incredibly careful not to smash it. It’s painfully tacky. And who really falls in love with the bow anyways? It’s what’s inside that matters. Right?
But we slap on the red bow every morning like life is ok. We put on a cute sweater and some sexy heals and say, “Hey world, I’m good. I’ve got this.”
Maybe we do it because it’s what we grew up doing. Protecting others from seeing our pain. Maybe we do it out of vanity. We just want to look good. Maybe we just like pretty things! Regardless of why, the bow remains cumbersome.
And we slap it on our circumstances. Problem is, our circumstances don’t always like to wear the bow. And well, some circumstances are so dang ugly, a bow isn’t going to dress them up anyways!
So what is the alternative? A good dose of reality? Are we doomed to go through life with a slimy bow that keeps getting drug through the mud? We dry it off and reshape it over and over again?
And I like bows. Really I do. But when the rubber meets the road, the bow is seldom what matters. We don’t want someone to pat us on the head, fluff our bow, and tell us everything is going to be okay. Because sometimes it’s not okay. Sometimes the crap hits the fan and we just need someone to sit in the crap with us! To see past the bow to what is inside and say, “Hey, I love you AND your crap!”
Because we are messed up too. We all have our own ugly that we try to hide. And it’s not the bow that matters. It’s what’s inside that is the gift.
So see past the bows people! Love the person!
Maybe then we could let our vulnerable show. Because that’s the sweet spot. The special stuff. What God made us of. Imperfect people serving a perfect God. And what servant heart has time for a bow anyways? It’s okay to let it go.
