Perfectly imperfect…

-Instead of aiming for perfect, try aiming for great.

–Tony B.

-And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

–Romans 8:28

-“…God will use you, this God will use all of you, and not just your strengths, but your failures and your failings. Your weakness is fertile ground for a forgiving God to make something new and to make something beautiful, so don’t ever think that all you have to offer are your gifts.”

–“Accidental Saints”

-For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

–Psalm 139:13-14

Timothy was timid. Peter was brash and impulsive. Rahab was a prostitute. Paul was, in his words, “the worst of sinners.”

Far from perfect…

Fully aware of their shortcomings and circumstances…

Focused on Him.

Yet, here I am, Tenacious S, relentlessly pounding away at myself (BAM!), my home (THUNK!), my work (SPLATT!), my to-do list (OOOF!), sometimes my faith (KAPOW!)…aiming for perfection…

And finding disappointment.

Big “duh,” Shelbo.

That’s what happens when you chase a lie…instead of the Lord.

So I decided…

To stop using my judgment (and energy) to blast away the questionable quirks of my character and the many missteps of my days…

Put it all in His hands…

And get back to work.

His work.

Let Him do the refining.

My life is a work in progress…in collaboration with my Creator, my God. He stands beside me as I trace a line here, daub a little there. I step back, ponder…oh, I regret what I started in that corner, it’s clearly not working…

“Um, Lord, what do I do?”

He chuckles. “Leave it. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

Or, sometimes, He’ll grasp my hand and guide my brush to the needed color, the proper technique…and suddenly that “misstroke” has been transformed! Now, it flows into the entire picture…tying seemingly unrelated elements together in joyous harmony….

From hot mess to glorious-ness.

My gaze drifts over the canvas, spotting the crooked, the blotchy, the discolored, the uneven, the off-center…

The “less exemplary” in me…

The “flaws.”

And I see…

We are not meant to be “paint-by-numbers” perfection…

These imperfections add personality, vibrancy, interest…

Life.

They belong here.

We are creations of intentional and unique beauty.

That painting is meant to be here, just as it is.

We are meant to be here, just as we are…

Perfectly imperfect.