Go beyond face(book) value

It was a great idea.

Or so I thought.

Rarely do I have the opportunity to travel for work via vehicle. Even more rare is the opportunity for my family to join me on these travels. We recently had the opportunity to travel to Nashville, Tennessee for the annual Voice of Apostles conference. My manager and I decided that our sales vehicle would make the perfect booth in the exhibit hall. Seeing that the conference took place during my oldest son’s seventh birthday, Mr. Manager suggested that my family come with me. I shared the news with Denise four months ago, and anticipation grew as the conference approached.

We set off on our 12-hour, two-day journey to Nashville on August 9. Denise and I figured that the travel days would be the most challenging for the children, however, our assumptions were quickly proven false. The first three days physically in Nashville were unbelievably unbearable. Here is why:

• Mistake #1- Daddy accidentally selected a hotel without a pool.
• Mistake #2- Daddy thought the YMCA would make a good second option.  Swim lessons and lap swimming prevented the children from truly playing the way they desired.
• Mistake #3- Daddy assumed that children and Mommy would love being in a foreign city for five days without Daddy present during the daylight hours.

What I thought would be a fantastic family trip was turning out to be a relational disaster.

Now, you may be reading this and laughing out loud. I was not. By day four, the children had screamed and hit both of us multiple times. I seriously considered taking them to the conference for deliverance from whatever attitude illness had suddenly plagued them. The worst moments came at bedtime of our oldest son’s birthday. It ended with him telling his mother that it was time for her to take them home and “leave Dad alone in Nashville.” I was beside myself. What I thought would be a fantastic family trip was turning out to be a relational disaster.

If you followed us on Facebook that week, you saw nothing joy, fun, and love. I’m a pro at faking it on Facebook. You might be too. Why? Because nobody is going to click “Like” on photos of our messes. My work takes me to many unique locations, and I make point to enjoy the local culture after the 10+ hour work days, but I don’t post many pictures of myself talking with prospective guests, setting up the booth, checking my email, or walking through a deserted airport with three bags at 5:00AM. Those images would bore my audience.

At the same time, my friends and family deserve to know the real me. Your friends and family deserve the authentic you. So my challenge to you this week is to be real. I don’t mean we should report on every nasty thing that happens in our lives, but be real enough to connect with those who love us most and care about our deeper feelings- in person and online. Be brave enough to share with others what God is teaching you through the challenges.

We hunger for authentic connection yet continue to immerse ourselves in digital feasts of false positives and over-zealous negatives. Let’s find the balance and go beyond face(book) value.

Question of the week: When is the last time you sat down with a friend and connected beyond face(book) value? Leave your answer in the comments section.