In Georgia we had a large, beautiful Cape Cod style home, surrounded by three acres of shady wood-lined trails. The over-sized, overstuffed dark brown, living room furniture set we had went perfect in it. Then we moved to the beach where I immediately fell in love with the white slip covered style furniture. But with perfectly fine brown furniture, two kids and a dog, I held off. Finally this past fall, with the kids being 18 and 20, I thought it was time to get the beach furniture I wanted. Wasn't too worried about the dog as he doesn't normally shed and I've never seen dog hair on our furniture.
Finally the day came this past fall and I brought home my white sofa and club chair. Not just any sofa or chair, but Pottery Barn slip covered ones and down-filled cushions and pillows as a bonus. I then spent hours refinishing the coffee table and end tables in chalk paint colors of antique white and turquoise, completing the beach look I was wanting. Added the right throw blanket and more down filled decorative seashell pillows and it was perfect. Until my dog decided it was perfect for him, to curl up on, to run back and forth across the hanging down edge...and leave tiny black hairs all over it. Black dog hairs?! On my new stuff, seriously?! Especially when he is almost 10 years old and never before have I ever seen dog hair on any of our sofas or chairs. It was then I realized there probably was dog hair on our other furniture, but it was so dark and the type of material it was (suede fabric) that I never even noticed it. It took the crisp new, white linen to show what was happening all along, and by all along I mean the past 10 years we've had our dog.
So what have I learned from this, other than the obvious of black dogs and white couches don't mix well? That often in life we don't truly see what is happening. Surroundings cover it up and we think it doesn't exist, but all along it is there, just hidden. Because we can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there. How often do we compare things we do to things other people do? Because our issues blend in so well and aren't always obvious we easily convince ourselves that our issues don't even exist. It's only when the true clean, white standard of God's Word is put against our issues do they stand out. I feel like I'm in a similar season of life. Things I've done for years, just as we've had our dog for years, are coming to light. And now is the time of choosing. Do we cover it with a throw blanket or pillows? Do we try to place it next to something of similar color or actions so it doesn't appear to be so bad after all? Or is it time to keep the white couch, the white glove test, the God standard, and remove the source of what is causing the imperfections? One thing, no matter what the choice, you can't go back to the plea of ignorance. Even if you hide it, blend it in or cover it up, you are now aware, and with awareness comes responsibility. A choice to do nothing is still a choice. Choose wisely... and don't buy white furniture if you own a black dog.
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