It’s Halloween and has been the case with all holidays since Neil died, I find myself reflecting on past celebrations. Like most parents, we started dressing up for Halloween when the girls were babies and created some imaginative costumes over the years.

We had fun with decorations, too – there were always pumpkin carvings, pipe cleaner spiders and black construction paper bats all over the house. Dinner included treats like brain bread and carrot fingers. We always enjoyed using our imaginations and pretending.

It occurs to me though, that pretending is not always fun. Sometimes it’s downright exhausting. I’m not talking about the pretending we do as children, but rather what we do as adults. We pretend we are fine when we’re not, or well-off when we’re not, or confident when we’re not. How often do we scurry to hide the mess and dust in our homes, so they look perfect to guests?  Or pretend our families are flawless, hiding our worries and struggles instead of letting our vulnerabilities show? How often do we pretend our faith is perfect, going through the motions of church and prayer without ever admitting our doubts and fears?

There is something to be said for the “fake it till you make it” approach, but it doesn’t always work. Here’s the lesson: it doesn’t really matter what the world thinks, it only matters what God thinks. And he already knows the real me. He knows I’m not perfect or rich or confident and He loves me anyway. He loves you, too.  So, let’s just all give up the pretending and rest in the arms of the One who loves us as we are.