Perfectly Imperfect

Pictures can be my best friend and worst enemy at the same time.  How often do we take pictures and after looking go “Delete that!” and try the picture again. Why do we do this? Generally, it is because we do not like what we see. Our hair may be out of place. We blinked when the photo was taken. The person taking the picture is showing all our rolls. Whatever it is, we see flaws, and we want them (and the photo)  gone.  

The same thing happens in our lives. There are areas and things that are part of our makeup that we do not like.  Some of these things are bad habits that we need to change.  Perhaps the bad habits are impacting our health. We may need to get more water, fruits, vegetables, and sleep. We may need to add exercise.  We may need to spend more time in prayer and meditation. We may need to remove processed food.  We may need to remove the extra busyness in our lives. Perhaps, we need to remove some people. Whatever it be, there are some things that we do need to change in order to grow.

If you have ever had a conversation with me, especially when I am excited, you know I tend to talk fast.   Even as a child, my parents tell me to slow down when I talked. I would get excited, my mind would be racing, and I would be speaking as fast as my mind was going. This morning, I was sharing with someone some ideas that were popping in my head. I was going so fast, she stopped me, and said “Ok. Stop! Breath!  Slow down, try again. I am trying to hear and process what you are saying.” I laughed when I realized I was doing it again, and stopped, apologized, took a breath, and tried again, somewhat slower.  

Now, as I was apologizing, I was also thinking “this is a part of me that I wish I did not have”  Now, as I thought about that, I began to wonder, how often do we look at ourselves, and then downplay everything.  Now I am not talking about the bad habits that impact our growth, and development. I am talking about the things we say about ourselves in a negative way. The down talk we do. We don’t like our hair. We don’t like our height. We don’t like our shape. We don’t like how we do or process things. We have the “If only….” mindset.

But when we do this, and talk down and bad about ourselves, what are we saying about the Creator, the One who made us? Are we saying that He, who is perfect, made junk? This morning, as I woke up, I heard the Lord say repeatedly, “My grace is sufficient.”  Now it was 5:00 AM. I am just waking up, and I am trying to understand why the Lord was telling me that. I remember thinking, well that was random. But how many know, nothing God does is random.

So fast forward a few hours when I began to have the “I wish” thoughts.  And as I was having those thoughts, I realized, even in my flaws and imperfections, God still uses that, and me.  You see, it is in the place of what we considered brokenness, hurt, and other experiences, that we then can minister to others who are in the place we were, and sometimes still are.

God does not make a mistake. He created us in a specific way, with specific traits, for a specific purpose. God can use us, even in this state, if we allow Him.  So, instead of looking at the “I wish” list, as a list of deficits that keeps us bound, let’s look at them as the tools that God can use to reach others.  While we may have some “imperfections”, stay anchored in God, and allow Him to use us, flaws and all.  For in our weakness, He is made strong.