Does anyone else find their kitchen to be so peaceful?
Sometimes, I find it to be the most relaxing room in the house. So much happens in the kitchen. From piecing together ingredients to making a meal with love to having loved ones gathered around the kitchen table, laughing and sharing stories. Sweet moments like slow dancing in front of the stove to music. In our house, the kitchen light is one of the first to flip on and the last to turn off. One of my favorite things is how the sunlight streams in on my countertops during certain times of the day. I think it is just so beautiful. It’s the little things, you know.
There is so much beauty to behold in the mundane. Unedited, far from picture perfect, yet it can feel so blissfully, gratefully perfect. I find these somewhat messy, raw moments very picturesque.
In the picture above, it was an average winter afternoon. I was emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the kitchen while cooking, and listening to music. There was something about the regular moment that struck me differently. It was one of those moments that, even though it wasn’t picture-perfect, I wanted to take a picture to remember the moment. It felt very special and dear to me. At that moment, I felt so grateful for what we had.
Also, can we normalize cute grandma kitchens? But seriously, these everyday moments hold so much beauty.
Why Picture Perfect?
In today’s society, it is easy to feel the pressures of the perfect false standards we see all around us and to wish our lives maybe looked a little more structured. With movies, Instagram posts, Pinterest pins, and more. We are blindly tempted to want what others have. I am guilty of this. I have a ton of Pinterest boards I have been curating since I was 13 years old. Countless pins of houses, kitchens, rooms, clothes, wedding dresses, rings, hairstyles, and anything else you can think of that I have admired over the years. I am not saying that Pinterest isn’t good. You can have a Pinterest for inspiration and good ideas to look back on. But I am saying to guard your heart. Something as innocent as a beautiful cottage kitchen can lead someone to ugly sin. Covetousness is a strong desire for something that others have. A synonym is envy. Have you ever dealt with this feeling? I am sure we all have.
We must stop scrolling and look up from the phone, TV, or Southern Living magazine. Open your eyes to the precious life God has given you. It is so easy to watch YouTubers who have a beautiful house with a pool, gorgeous kitchen counters, and cute modern clothes and become discontent with the gifts you have. As soon as those thoughts come to your mind, realize that you are being deceived, friends. We will not find satisfaction in having more things. Jesus says, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke, 12:15. ESV.)
Read that verse again. Jesus is warning us to be cautious and not to envy what others have because our lives do not need to be so absorbed in what we do or don’t have. Contrary to today’s beliefs, it is not the items but the people in your life whom you get to enjoy it with that are meaningful. It is how you live your life and who you live your life for that matters.
The grass is not greener on the other side.
It is easy to see someone else’s life and think wow, their life looks so fun or Man, they are so successful. Maybe you have seen a picture of someone’s house and thought, how is it always so clean? Remember that people only post what they want you to see. We live in a world with Photoshop, filters, lighting, posing, and many other tricks to make things appear not as they seem. Never forget that everyone you see on your screen or in your magazine is human. They have feelings, brokenness, and flaws and are also in dire need of a Savior.
Find beauty and thanksgiving in your life every day.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew, 13:44. ESV.)
The man in this parable would sell all his possessions and only have the great gift of his salvation rather than have all he owns but not have eternal life in Christ. The kingdom of heaven here is referred to as hidden treasure. That is how precious and invaluable it is. Instead of being jealous of what we don’t have, we should praise the Lord for all we do have and always remember that even all that the Lord has provided us can not compare to the joy and richness we find in salvation.
Lord, please help us have overflowing gratitude for what you have given us. It is not our possessions that bring us joy but our pursuit of you and your word that brings Joy. Only when we know you, God, can we see life’s beauty. Thank you for the opportunity to have a relationship with you, God. To you all praise and glory, Amen.