by RTF Assistant Editor Halee Matthews

I couldn’t take it any more. Something had to be done.

I ran into my husband’s home office waving a hammer. “No more beauty wasted!” I declared. He looked at me, eyeing the hammer. “Uh-huh.. okay.. Whatever you say…”

I exited with one more wave of my chosen tool and went to… hang things.

I know. The thought of me waving a hammer is a little scary. Please allow me to explain.

We’d been living in our house for over a year, and like any first-time homeowners, we went crazy with projects. We painted and sanded and spackled. We made plans for a new pantry. We plotted to buy new furniture. We dreamed of all the things we wanted to do.

Meanwhile, our beautiful wall art sat neglected in packing paper, waiting. Waiting for someone to bring them out and let them share their beauty.

What good is art if it’s hidden?

So one day, I grabbed some nails and my hammer and started attacking our walls with art. I hung every piece that I could find. And they’re.. mostly straight.

But that wasn’t really my goal. Straight or not, I wanted to be able to see those things that had been hidden away for far too long. If we had waited until our house was exactly as we wanted, well, our art might have been hidden away for a long time.

Beauty doesn’t do any good if it’s wrapped up in a box. You have to let it out, show the world, even if everything else isn’t as perfect as you want.

So what about you? What is it that you’re hiding away, still waiting for perfection?

Is it a talent you don’t want to share until you consider yourself good enough? Or a goal you’re too afraid to reveal to the world?

Could it be time- time to let go of your fears and let the world see it? Your light may be shining brightly, but who’s going to see it if you’re keeping it in a box (or hiding it “under a bushel”)?

Your light wasn’t meant to be hidden. Believe me, I know how tempting it is to keep it in a safe place, far away from the prying eyes of the world. But what would that accomplish?

So be bold. Be brave. And unpack that beauty you’ve been keeping hidden away. It’s time to let it shine.