Today is Good Friday.
It’s the day we remember the suffering of our Lord – the utter and complete surrender of His perfect life in exchange for our messy ones.
And during this Holy Week, I have been made so unbelievably aware of my mess.
Let’s start with my never-ending need to please people.
I drove a little too fast through our school zone on Monday (didn’t even realize it). Several women I respect got very upset with me and I’ve been feeling so bad for disappointing them.
I got angry that the Happy Baby dumped his pee-filled toilet-training potty all over the bathroom floor and then went and pooped on the carpet in his brother’s room.
I had some insecurity about my job – wanting people to like me and desire to have their kids in my class.
I spent too much money on groceries. Again.
I let the words of another make me doubt my calling in a particular ministry that I love.
I pushed the hubby too far in a conversation instead of wisely holding my tongue.
I paid too much attention to my phone.
I got jealous of a woman who has a super cute new baby with no health issues.
I wasted an entire afternoon feeling sorry for myself over a situation I have yet to fully surrender.
I think my kids ate chicken nuggets 3 times within a span of 3 days.
Add in some pride, fear, impatience, and unbelief and that about sums up my week!
If you didn’t already consider me a highly questionable source, you can do so now.
🙂
The point is, there’s a whole lot of ugly going on in this heart of mine.
And being that I am a perfectionist, when I am faced with the realities of my sin, the temptation is always to let the above listed wretchedness take me down.
I mope around or overeat or complain to the hubs that I am worthless, nobody likes me, and a big, fat failure.
Oh, but Jesus didn’t die on the cross so that I could drown myself in a pint of ice cream and self-pity.
Do you remember in the story of Moses when Pharaoh kept refusing to let the Israelites leave Egypt, even under the stress and horror of all the plagues?
The final plague was the worst of all – the death of every firstborn son in Egypt.
God had a plan, however, for His people, the Israelites. He instructed them very specifically to kill a lamb and paint its blood over the door of their homes. If they obeyed these instructions, then the Angel of Death would pass over their house and the firstborn sons would be spared.
When the angel saw the blood, he simply passed over the house.
He didn’t open the door to peek inside and make sure everyone was behaving properly.
God didn’t expect the Israelites to be perfect behind those doors.
It was THE BLOOD that saved them.
And that is our own sweet story, dear friends.
Our lamb is Jesus.
His blood is painted on the doorpost of our hearts.
And we are saved – we are set free!
I am not condemned for that laundry list of ugly I wrestled with this week BECAUSE OF HIS BLOOD.
This news is way more satisfying and joy-filling than ice cream (trust me on this).
When I picked the Happy Buddy up from school recently and asked him how his day was, he immediately burst into tears and confessed that his name had been written on the board due to a poor choice.
In the past, being that darned perfectionist that I am, I have acted disappointed and upset with my son for daring to represent our family so poorly.
As if I really wanted him to feel bad for sinning.
But the Lord showed me awhile back that holding a grudge, looking at my child with condemnation, flailing my arms and shouting, “How could you do that?!” is not at all the picture of the cross.
No.
His response to the sin of His children is always love.
Because he just sees the blood.
Now when my son cried about his consequence at school, I wrapped my arms around him in a giant hug and whispered in his ear, “We all make mistakes, son. Now we must make it right.”
He went to his teacher to apologize for disobeying the classroom rules and then we went to Jesus and apologized.
As our prayer drew to a close and we opened our eyes, I looked at my boy’s tear-stained face and said gently, “It is finished.”
I saw the burden lifted in an instant.
And he said, “Mommy can we have chicken nuggets for dinner?”
🙂
We are imperfect people living behind the doors of our homes.
We will have bad moments, bad days, bad weeks…
But all that bad is why Good Friday is so good.
Take that never-ending list of badness and daily remember the all-sufficient, unfailing power of our Savior’s goodness.
He sees the blood.
And today, my friends, it is finished.
Anyone want to celebrate with some Breyer’s? 🙂
– Julie
“He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.” Ephesians 1:7 (NLT)
Thank you for your honesty and humor in your Good Friday post. You made me laugh and cry at the same time. I accidentally stumbled across your site, and I’m so glad I did. Happy Easter to you and your Happy Family! 🙂
Once again…exactly what I needed. Thank you.
Thank you Julie for sharing this post. It came at a time when I needed it most. I often think of you and your happy baby. My happy baby looks similar to yours in many ways and I followed your journey through his birth and health issues and was amazed by your constant faith. Then my happy baby was born about 6 months later and when he was 4 months old a number of health problems started. I remembered your posts and faith and trusted my baby to God. He is now 13 mths and completely cured of one part of his problems.
Anyway I wanted to say that I was thinking I was a failure yesterday because I don’t spend enough time with my boys, do enough craft or have it ‘all together’ like you seem to. But your post reminded me that we don’t know what others are going through and behind closed doors we are all feeling just as insecure.
Happy Easter to you and your family. From Megan in Sydney, Australia
Awesome reminders. I, too, have those exact same issues. I’m so thankful for your honesty and sweet reminders that the blood covers us!!
What a wonderful message. Thank u so much. From one PW to another I really needed to hear that today 🙂 Thank you for taking time out of your busy Holy Week to post that.
Julie,
Props to you for being so sincere. Everybody’s got problems! Hope you have a wonderful Easter with you beautiful family.
Thank you Lord for showing me that there is always an opportunity to forgive and be forgiven. Amen
I really enjoy your website and appreciate that it is Christ centered. Thank you for the never ending craft ideas and fir sharing your life with us.
God Bless and Happy Easter
Praise God that it is the blood that saves us!! Julie, I don’t know you but I want to tell you that I am blessed and God is glorified by your transparency. Thank you for being real and humbling yourself to do what He has called you to do. God is refining the fleshly yuck in each of us. Keep listening for his gentle whispers and rest in His radical grace of the cross.
Your sister in Christ.
Thank you for this post–it was exactly what I needed to hear.
Beautifully said. Certainly found myself nodding I agreement with many of your examples. Thanks and God Bless.
Linda
Sent from my iPad
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My heart has becomed consumed with everything but the blood. Struggles, worry, perfection, jealously, hurt and everything but the blood has been my focus. That red dot needs to be a permanent reminder that Jesus is my focus for when I take my eyes off him I fall. Thank you for being real when many of us cannot.
Amen!
LOVE this ! Just trying to find the version you used for Eph. 1:7 reference. Can’t find; what translation do you use as I love this wording and cannot find it.
Mary! Sorry this is so late – the version is the New Living Translation! Happy Easter
Absolutely amazing! Your words truly hit home for me. Thank you for being so ” real” and for the constant reminder that Jesus is love and love conquers ALL!
Oh my friend. My sweet, sweet friend, I could have written this post, about being Miss Perfectionist, about driving too fast, not holding my tongue, all of it!
Thank you for being real. Thank you for giving me this awesome idea (and for telling about the Jesus Storybook Bible forever ago, because we have one and it’s my handy-dandy reference when talking to my sweet girls about Jesus).
We just had a tender time of teaching at our house, inspired by your post. Now we’re walking around with “blood-stained” palms and talking about Jesus’ sacrifice.
Thanks for being real. Thanks for posting this.
Happy Easter!
Thank you for the reminder! Your words always bless me! Julie Parkerson (Fellow follower of Christ and faithful Happy Home reader!)
Sent from my iPhone
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what a blessing you are to all your subscribers….were you writing about me this time? lol..you seriously could have been (fill in the blanks differently is all). You have a God-given talent & are my favorite blogger! Keep up the good work. God is surely using you to reach into other’s hearts…. love ya , my sister in Christ Jesus!
~ Sam
You are amazing! Do not be so hard on yourself. We are human, and we are His children. We need to fully rely on Him, through the good and the bad. He died for us, and He loves us because we are his. Your blog always helps me through my day, and I keep your family in my prayers. God bless you at Easter and always. Your light shines in many lives. Thank you. (I have a “Happy Buddy” who is now 14 and a “Happy Baby” who is now 11 1/2) ?
Thank you for sharing! It really resonated with me.
Beautiful and heartfelt for sure. We are moms, teachers, wives and so much more. Sometimes we set that bar too high, don’t you think?
I love your honesty about how you feel. And I love how you handled Little Buddy! You are an inspiration to me as an imperfect Mom!
Thank you so much for this post! I have followed you for a few years now, and I LOVE every single one of your posts; but this is the first one I’ve actually commented on (I’m so bad about that). Your posts always minister to me, and there have been many times I’ve wanted to comment but have never taken the time. I’m sorry for that. Just know that you are encouraging so many like me! Happy Easter!
Thank you so much for this post! I’ve followed you for several years, and your posts always encourage and minister to me! Happy easter. 🙂
What a wonderful post. Great humour and some smiles too. Thanks.
(Why am I having trouble ‘liking’ your posts?!)
I have yet to read a post of yours that I am not weepy by the end. You are so relatable, it’s like you are inside my head and house;) I love that you are vulnerable and are able to say what most of us won’t. The Lord’s kindness, truth and gentleness shine through you. Don’t ever stop writing, please! I always look forward to reading your posts, after the kids are in bed.
Thank you for sharing this. Just what I needed.
You are doing a GREAT job at being a mommy and a disciple. I am an older version of you, I believe.(BUT I have eaten the ice cream for years and am a much chubbier version!) My last of 6 babies is graduating this year and I have been a perfectionist and have suffered with trying to please people for far too long. It took me years to figure some of the things out that you have already mastered at a much younger age. I love your blog and appreciate your honesty and integrity. Thanks for trusting readers with your thought and feelings. Thanks for all you share. It is meaningful. I am glad and blessed.to have found you.
This post was such an encouragement to me today. Thanks for your honesty and your reminder that His blood covers all. Also, as a mama to 2 girls, both with health issues, I just want to say that I feel your pain. God is bigger than the pain and struggle, but the pain and struggle are still very real.
Happy Easter! <3