I’m a people-pleaser…and that’s not always good. I love to love people well, which often means things I need done, don’t get done.
God’s been working on me a lot over the last few years. He’s gently remolding my heart and mind to not seek affirmation from others quite so much. All this heart remodeling has even impacted how I view my home.
Awhile ago I decided to practice hospitality even though my house could best be described as a fixer-upper. It’s feeling its age, but then again so am I. And with quite a few people and two golden retrievers, it can be a bit of a hairy mess.
Over the years, my house could sometimes be described as sticky, crumbly, and cluttered, but
it’s always been warm, welcoming, and full of love. Right now, the floors look like funhouse floors with some odd dips and bumps. The ceiling… well, it’s been the site of some pretty impressive waterfalls so you can imagine.
The front door, until recently, sported the distressed look. My house would certainly not make it on the cover of a magazine, BUT it’s home.
Although I’ve always loved having people over, I used to worry more about how all the needed repairs might look to visitors. I can honestly say it’s been wonderful to open the door and welcome people in regardless of the state of things.
Progress Over Perfection
I’m blessed by how many people say, “I feel so welcome. It feels like home.” I’m so thankful. I truly wish my home wasn’t ever messy, hairy, or broken, but the people who fill my home are so much more important than the wonky floors and the peeling ceiling.
I’ll always choose the people God places in my life over projects and perfection. Although, I’m realizing there needs to be a balance even in that choice.
God is stretching me to choose to acknowledge that I need my house to be a refuge for me too. I need it repaired, decluttered, dehairified, and dusted. I’m learning to balance my love of others with loving my space as well.
I love that people feel comfortable and at home, but I also want to feel at peace and proud of the space I’ve created. It’s difficult to feel those things when I often can only see all the repairs that need to be made and all the work that needs to be done. I can feel quite defeated by it all.
In this new year, I’m planning on changing some of my priorities. It’s going to sound weird, but I’m going to make some of my to dos more important than pleasing the people in my life. I think it’s what God is showing me.
Being a people-pleaser has gotten me pretty far behind on all the things that need to be done. I have neither made them a priority nor asked others to help me. It’s time I do both.
This time next year, I’m hoping to share all the projects completed and how I pleased one more person than usual… me.