the grass is always greener

After mowing my lawn last night and stressing out over the ever-expanding amount of crabgrass and clover growing in my lawn, I was talking with my neighbor. She made the comment how her grass was looking terrible, especially next to our green, lush lawn. WHAT?!? Did she not see the crabgrass, clover and every other kind of broadleaf weed that has infested our lawn? Was she completely derlirious, or was she just offering a compliment to make me feel better? My thought immediately turned to the guy a few houses down the street who has THE BEST looking lawn around, and how I've always wished my lawn could look half as good as his. It made me realize and wonder - "what else do people not see about me? what else have I covered up so that my life and my world looks green from as close as next door"? I always wonder how we as Christians put on the best face - even when our worlds, our lawns, are dying and full of weeds (sin). Do we put on such a brave face that no one can tell that we struggle with the same sin and difficulties that our neighbors - be they Christians or non-Christians struggle with? And if they are not Christians, what message do our "green lawns" send the non-believers. Do our lives look so perfect and do we act so completely "put together" that non-believers don't see what being a Christian is really all about?
And then, what about our Christian neighbors? Do we put on such a "green lawn" face that we make other Christians who are struggling with sin feel like they aren't living as "good" of a life as they think we are? What message does that send to believers who struggle with sin or all of the other emotions that everyday life brings?
In regards to grass being greener on the other side - I'm off for a 10 day vacation from my job tomorrow. 10 days away from all the stress, frustration and annoyances that my job (along with probably everybody else's job) holds. I'm off to Camp Highlands, the place I mentioned in my first entry into this blog - the place that taught me "I'm Third". It will be a welcome retreat and a time to hopefully reflect on God's goodness as I am surrounded 24/7 with His beauty at it's best. The problem with the trip is, just like my trip to Seattle, I'll get back next week, and think "Wow! If I could just live that relaxed of a life every day! How wonderful my life would be"! I'm hoping that instead of my sin causing me to resent what I don't have, God will give me the time and the focus to see what I do have. That I will realize that the grass is greener on my side of the fence as well as the other side, and that I am willing to share the weeds in my lawn in a way that encourages others and shows them that my faith carries me through - not the fact that my neighbors can't see my "weeds"!