Imperfect People

Imperfect People in love with a Perfect God

Category Archives: Everyday Faith

Losing your life

Whitney Houston died!  Crazy right?  She was famous and strong and “larger than life”  She wasn’t supposed to die!!!??

I felt the same with Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, and every other big name that has died in recent years.

In the mist of such news I can’t help but be reminded EVERYONE dies.  We don’t like to think about it unless we have to, but it is true!  Presidents, Kings, celebrities, even doctors and surgeons.  We all die.  Encouraging huh?

Don’t worry I have a point.

Jesus said “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:25

Ok thanks Jesus….now what does that mean?

The first part asks, “who wants to save their life?”

I think that is pretty much everyone.  That is why we workout, take vitamins, go to the doctor, and wear seat belts.

So to ALL of us he says, you “will lose it.”  Which means we ALL die.  All of us.  No matter how many vitamins we take, no matter how safe we drive, even if we are a celebrity…we will all “loose our life.”

In fact the only person to rise from the dead or bring others back to life is the one giving us this advice…I think we should listen…just sayin.

“But” (meaning there is good news)

BUT, whoever loses their life for me will find it. 

Losing our life for Jesus means losing our agenda, our to do lists, our status, pride, goals, aspirations, and what most of us would define as “our LIFE.”

Losing OUR plans for HIS.  Throwing our hands up and saying “have your way with me Jesus”  That is TRUE LIFE.

We find LIFE by putting our self aside “dying to our agenda” and living for something bigger than ourselves. 

Why don’t we do this?  Because we don’t know what Jesus has planned and we are far too afraid of leaving our comforts.

Our creator, our maker, KNOWS us.  He knows we want to live forever. That is the way we were made.  We desire life ETERNALY.  But we get so confused thinking that the here and now is what is most important.  So many people get to the end of their life and realize they were chasing the wrong things.

I don’t want to realize too late.

Father may your agenda always trump mine. When you say, “jump” may my only question be “how high?”

I KNOW your agenda is better than mine.  May I open the clinched fist that I have on this life and lay it all at your feet.

I fear a life without you much more than a life lived for you. 

 

To all the imperfect ladies

Somebody once told me that in ancient Chinese art, the great artists almost always included a deliberate flaw in their work. It made it human, and authentic.

This got me thinking I wonder if God, in his craftsmanship, included “flaws” in each of his creations.  I certainly don’t think he made any mistakes but I think He knew what he was doing when he made us perfectly “imperfect.” 

Let’s think for a minuite, If perfect was attainable then who has it?  When interviewd nearly every supermodel and celebrity will tell you they have  flaws.  Professional makeup artist and expensive computer programs have us comparing ourselves to unrealstic expectations anyway! 

This poem says it, well, perfectly!: 

I made her…She is different, she is unique. With love i formed her in her mothers womb. I fashioned her with great joy. I remember with great pleasure the day I created her. (Psalm 139)


I love her smile. I love her ways. I love to hear her laugh. I love the silly things she says and does. She brings me great pleasure. This is how I made her. (Psalm 139)
I made her pretty, not beautiful, because I know her heart and how she would be vain. I want her to search out her heart and learn that it’s ME in her that makes her beautiful, and it would be Me in her that draws friends to her. (1 Peter)

I made her in such a way that she would need me. A little more lonesome than she would like to be only because I need her to lean and depend on Me. I know her heart and I know if I had not made her like this she would go her own chosen way and forget Me- Her own creator. (Psalm 63)

Because I love her, I have seen her broken heart… and the tears she has cried alone. I have cried with her and had a broken heart too. (Psalm 56)
Many times she has stumbled and fallen alone, only because she would not hold my hand. Many lessons she has learned the hard way because she wouldn’t listen to my voice. (Isaiah 62)

So many times I have set back and sadly watched her go her way alone, only to watch her return to my arms, sad and broken. Now she is Mine again. I made her and then I bought her because I love her. I have to reshape and remold her… to renew her for what I have planned. It has not been easy for her or for Me. (Jeremiah 29)

I want her to conform too my image… this high goal I have set for her because I love Her.

God knew what he was doing when he made us.  So before you criticize that face you see in the mirror, remember you are perfectly created my friend!  Every beautiful part of you, even the flaws, all for His glory.  Walk in confidence today knowing you are the handywork of an almighty God! 

This is a little…uncomfortable

I used to hear preachers talk about “getting uncomfortable” and to be honest I didn’t like it.  Why wouldn’t God want me to be comfortable?  I like being comfortable.  I like predictability, I like stability, and I like warm fuzzy socks.

I am in this weird place I don’t know how to describe.  I read books like, Kisses from Katie where a 19 year old girl left EVERYTHING she knew to be comfortable and lives in Uganda.  She is now 22 and mother to 13 once orphaned little girls.  I hear stories of friends who just last week returned from Honduras where they saw countless houses made of magazines, and scrap wood with no electricity and plumbing.

I see pictures like this:

I read radical too and that probably didn’t help.

It cost $20 a quarter to send a Ugandan child to school (including their meals).  Yet that cost is 4 times the cost of their electricity or plumbing which many of them can’t afford anyway.  Lack of education just continues the cycle of poverty.

We can spend more than $20 going out to eat for ONE meal!

It just makes me, well, uncomfortable ya know?

I love nice things as much as the next girl.  I don’t think smart phones are sinful, and I love our home.

But I just can’t help but see things differently.  It is uncomfortable.  It would be much easier to ignore.  I don’t see poverty around me everyday.  I don’t personally know any starving children.

And I think that’s the problem.

I have heard it said it is not that we don’t care about the poor, it is that we don’t know them.  Just this glimpse from books and stories from missionaries makes me WANT to know them more.

But it’s messy helping the poor.  They need soo much, some need more than you can give, some are looking for handouts, and some are dirty.  It isn’t always safe, some have disease and some are unkind.

But God doesn’t just ask us to help if we have nothing else to do, He commands it…of all of us.

As Katie Davis said, “I am not afraid of disease or death, I am much more afraid of being comfortable.”

I guess I am seeing through all of this that comfortable isn’t such a great thing after all.  A restless hunger to do more to the least of these isn’t comfortable.  From the small amount I have experienced helping, it is pretty messy and time consuming too. But it is so much better than staying comfortable.

Part of me wants to sleep on the floor and skip meals out of guilt, but I know that solves nothing. 

Lord, break my heart until it moves my hands and feet.  Open my eyes to see your love for ALL people.  May I worry less about being comfortable and more about being used by the King of the universe to do great things. 

I can’t change the world, but I can start with one.  Making a difference for ONE person…can change that person’s world.

Mannequins make great models

Today is a guest post from Cecila.  She is a missionary in Haiti and is an amazing writer.  She is sharing her post today about feeling “imperfect” and it is BEAUTIFUL!  I hope you enjojoy!

It must be lovely to be a mannequin; to be perfect in every way and to never have to struggle with emotions.

Sometimes it’s typical to think that missionaries have this “all together”, “picture perfect”, “I’m-working-for-God”, “queue the angelic music” kind of life.

Contrary to popular belief, we experience;
doubt,
fear,
loneliness
and anger.

There are times, when we feel so alone, the lizard on the wall seems to be our only companion. We look at the little creature, and in all of our loneliness, we talk to it (don’t worry, this doesn’t happen a lot). We get pissed to the point where we yell at the coconuts hanging on the tree for not falling (or falling). We get tired of having to communicate in a language other than our own. We look at the fellow to which we are trying to explain something and start to blab in English (yeah, it’s kind of awkward).

We have days when we ask ourselves why are we in a third world country – where showers are cold and bathrooms are scarce. Why are we in a country whose currency can be counted in two ways (gourdes and Haitian dollars) and the electricity is never consistent; in a place where everything takes two times longer and is usually done backwards. We ask ourselves these questions and sometimes feel a tad bit clueless and somewhat confused. These feelings and emotions aren’t something that disappear as one mounts on a plane to enter the mission field, in search for the will of God. We have no halo, we carry no wings.

We are humans (in a foreign country), trying to conquer the mass of arrows and darts life throws at us. We are humans who have experienced the Grace of God on our lives. This Grace, so intense, so pure, so precious that we can’t help but share it with others. And we seek to spread it. This is why we do what we do. Far from perfection and still learning to deal with our vast array of emotions we look to hold the orphan, shelter the parent-less and teach those who would otherwise never get an education.We give of the Grace that was so freely offered to us.

Oh! To be a perfect little mannequin would indeed be ideal, but then I would never have the ability to receive this wonderful Grace and participate in his perfect purpose.

Thank you Cecilia!  You are wise beyond your years!  Please feel free to check out her personal blog or her families blog and see what a cool difference they are making in Haiti.

We all have junk

If you have ever seen a plane flying over head you might notice from a distance it looks beautiful.  Strong, steady, and powerful.  The plane looks light as air as it floats among the clouds.  However if you have ever actually been a passenger on a plane it isn’t always as smooth and steady as it appears from afar.  There is turbulence, the clouds are not as soft as they look, and if you have ever gone through a storm….let me just say lots of talking to Jesus going on in that situation.

The point is from afar many people seem to be smooth, steady, and put together.  Their marriage is perfect, their kids never misbehave, they have complete control of their finances, and they are extremely talented and good at everything you are not.  But inside that persons life there is “turbulence.”  I guarantee they have struggles no matter who they are.

WE ALL HAVE JUNK.  The reason I started this blog is because everywhere I go I couldn’t help notice this is such a common thread in all of our lives.  We are ALWAYS comparing ourselves!  I’ll say it again WE ALL HAVE JUNK but isn’t that what makes us who we are?

The friends I love the most are the ones who are “imperfect.” They are honest about where they struggle and don’t try to hide their flaws.

A dear friend told me the other day, “if someone you know appears to be perfect….they are miserable”  And she knew!  For years she had tried with all her might to have a spotless house, make everything from scratch and look good while doing it.  She was exhausted, and frustrated.

I secretly compared myself to her and wondered how she did it all.

When she came clean about it there was such relief in both of our ends.

“You mean you are not perfect?”  You mean I can stop pretending to be perfect?”

Oh what a wonderful moment that was!  Why don’t we do that sooner?

Jesus needs a better advertising campaign

The Barna Group, a respected Christian survey organization, recently asked young people to identify which perceptions they most strongly associate with Christianity. The three most commonly agreed-upon were: anti-homosexual, judgmental, and hypocritical.

Westboro Baptist church has made headlines with their “God hates fags” philosophy where they protest soldiers funerals.  Also making headlines are abortion clinics being bombed & protests for nearly everything under the sun.

At almost every event with a large crowd you can find “the megaphone man” yelling about hell and eternal damnation. 

All in the name of Jesus?? 

If this is the Christianity the world sees than no wonder many people are not interested. 

My dear friend Katelyn posted this awesome quote:

I have decided to stop letting political and religious organizations represent me on the issues. I have decided to represent myself, and in so doing I hope to accurately represent Christ.

-Mike Foster “Unchristain”

Dear friends, Forgive us. Forgive us for the embarrassing things we have done in the name of Jesus.

 

We are imperfect people for sure.  Our attempts to model Jesus are clumsy at best.  He calls us, imperfect and broken, to transform us so we are no longer the same.  We just don’t always leave the old us behind. 

Please don’t reject Christ because of Christians.  We are still trying to wrap our head around the God of the universe wanting to make disciples out of us. 

Despite our misrepresentation, Jesus was a pretty amazing guy. 

He was the preacher of all preachers yet you could find him dining with some of the worst “sinners” of his day.  Mark 2:15

He was the King of all the universe yet he was born to regular people in a palace no wait, a manger.  Luke 2:7

He deserved servants and crowns, yet he washed his disciples feet. John 13 1-17

He is the only one that was or ever will be worthy of all the fame and fortune of the world, yet he was a servant. Mark 9:35

He spoke love into the people no one loved. John 4

He would touch those no one else would touch. Mark 1:40-45

He did nothing wrong, but he never tried to defend himself. John 18:28-38

He could have had a thousand Angels come to take his place on the cross, but he took mine instead.   John 19:28-30


 I want to invite you to consider that maybe the televangelists and street preachers are wrong — and that God really is love. Maybe the fruits of the Spirit really are beautiful things like peace, patience, kindness, joy, love, goodness, and not the ugly things that have come to characterize religion.

-Shane Claiborne


The Jesus I know is turning the world upside down with his love.  The less I get in the way the better he can “advertise” through me. 

Have you ever witnessed a not so great “advertisment” for Jesus?

-Katie

del.icio.us Tags: ,,,

Mom guilt

Faced with the overwhelming responsibility of mothering the next generation; mothers often feel like we are not doing enough, or not doing it just right. 

I am certainly guilty of this myself, and I have never met another mom who didn’t feel the same. 

Although it’s a positive sign that we’re trying to do our best, we need to learn to let it go so that we can be our best.   A guilty conscience is doing no one any good, if anything it is just causing frustration.  Either a change needs to be made or an acceptance needs to take place. 

Truthful Guilt:

In this type of guilt there really is something that could be better.  What is nagging over your head that you know needs to be changed?   You have put it off for whatever reason.  Let’s not wait any longer.  Our children are growing up everyday, let’s take steps today to make our tomorrow the best it can be. 

Guilt from Unrealistic expectations:

I feel like my picture should be beside these words with a stamp on my forehead saying “guilty”.  Actually, I do need a picture for this post….

We compare ourselves to our neighbor who has a beautiful yard, our best friend whose children can recite the entire bible (minor exaggeration), the one whose home is always immaculate, and the one who is always doing craft projects with her kids. 

My favorite saying around here is, “We compare ourselves to what others are on the outside to what we know to be true of ourselves on the inside”

Yes Sally (names changed to protect the innocent) may be crafty, but I bet she doesn’t have the talent you do! Be thankful for Sally’s talent and note that she probably doesn’t have yours! 

We all have at least one talent, but not one of us have all the talent. 

Most importantly comparing ourselves to others is a lose, lose battle.  The only perfect one worthy of comparing ourselves to is Jesus.  He was not a mom, but  He was an amazing and effective teacher.  He corrected and showed grace at all the right times. He was selfless and He loved….like REALLY LOVED, even when we didn’t deserve it.  What a model!!

When you feel the unwelcome feeling of guilt creeping in again:

  1. Determine if it is true or unrealistic guilt
  2. If it is true: Do something. Make the changes right then, or take steps to make the situation better.
  3. If it is untrue.  Thank God for making  you the mother that you are.  Focus on what you do well.  And enjoy doing what you do best with your kids. 

As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

What do you think? Do you carry mom guilt? I love your comments!

What if Mary had said no?

The biblical account of Jesus birth is a miracle no doubt.  I love to hear it, especially  during the Christmas Season.  This year, as a mom, I can’t help but look at the story though Mary’s eyes.  Here is what we know of the story:
WOW!  Ok what??  Mary was a young girl probably only a teenager at this time.  She was not a daughter of a king, or any prestigious family.  She was so perfectly ordinary.  Yet God had a message for her.
A lot more Wow’s with this statement!  I can only imagine what Mary is thinking.  She asks:
Here is the part I think is so amazing (as if everything else isn’t already mind blowing).  Mary who is engaged to be married is being told by an angel that she is to carry the Lord’s son.  There are about a million things she can be worried about:
1) I am only engaged, not married, how do I explain this to my fiancé??  Um, Jospeh I’m pregnant, but the baby is God’s don’t worry???
2) Even if he does believe me what about everyone else?  The punishment for a woman becoming pregnant un-wed is stoning to death a.k.a people throwing large rocks at you over and over until it kills you.
3)In the unlikley event everyone believes me, what about me and my plans?  I am about to get married?  I don’t want to have to alter the wedding dress!  I like being a regular girl, everyone is going to ask me tons of questions!   I really am too busy for all this right now!
But instead she says:
I think Mary “got” something that we often are too selfish to comprehend.  It wasn’t about her.  She had the amazing privilege to be the mother of Jesus only because she was willing to be “the Lord’s servant.”
She never complained that she had to deliver the Lord of the universie in a MANGER…no inn….no palace…a dark manger with stinky animals everywhere!
Yet Mary knew this wasn’t about her…it was about Jesus. 
The same is true today.  So many of us are fighting to further our own little kingdom.  We are wrapped up in making our name famous, when if we could understand the TRUTH which is, it’s not about us:  It’s about Jesus.
Making his name famous, furthering His kingdom, and doing HIS work.  His name is the only one that will last through the generations.  The best we can hope for is to be a supporting role to the most amazing lead character in the world.
Happy Birthday Jesus!
 

Dear Hannah, on your birthday

Precious Hannah,

I can hardly believe four short years ago you were born.  Your daddy and I were told our lives would change forever but we didn’t believe it until we we met you. 

We were told we would experience love on a whole new level, but we didn’t know it until we held you

.

 

I remember the day we took you home from the hospital.  I looked at you,  fast asleep in your bed. I was a new mom, overwhelmed with emotion.  I barely knew you yet I would do ANYTHING for you. I didn’t understand how someone so small that couldn’t even (yet) love me back had just become such an important part of me!

Then God whispered…that is a glimpse of my Love. 

God has a crazy BIG, selfless, HUGE, relentless, and unexplainable love for his children.   If my imperfect self could love this child SOO much, how much more does God love me! 

 You have grown into such a precious little girl.  You love all things girly, pink, and princess.  You love your baby sister and you are so considerate of others. 

 

  You say funny things like, “When I grow up I want to be a mermaid, and if that doesn’t work I want to be Rapunzel let down your hair”  You also say you sister wants to be a water buffalo…yes a water buffalo…random I know….you got it from a book.    

You are a very social little girl and love to play with friends.  When friends are not around or your sister is napping you have imaginary “brothers and sisters” that have a “tall tall airplane” and you play with them often.  We have yet to get a clear answer on their names or residence but their parents names are Katie and Bryan so we feel pretty good about that.  

  

Everyday you request to wear a “beautiful dress” and you usually change clothes about 4 times a day. 

You love to play school, dance, and “baby and mommy.” 

 

(I absolutely LOVE this picture, Thanks Grandma!  Nice snap!)

You are a precious gift.  I am overwhelmed and honored that God chose me to be your mom.  You remind me of His big crazy love everyday. 

Happy Birthday Hannah Grace!

Love,

Mom

 

Martha Stewart’s daughter and a lesson in PRIORITIES

Martha Stewart, your quintessential homemaker, picture perfect crafter, gourmet chef, amazing hostess, and gardener.

We all have someone we look up to, and for so many women it is Martha Stewart.   When our days are stressful, dinner is burnt, and the centerpiece we tried to craft for thanksgiving looks more like a preschoolers art project, we close our eyes and think, “How does Martha do it?” 

According to her daughter, while Martha was pretending to be betty homemaker to the world, she ignored her own family. 

“If I didn’t do something perfectly, I had to do it again,” writes her daughter. “I grew up with a glue gun pointed at my head.” source

 Photo credit

She goes on to say “There was never anything to eat at my house,” and despite Martha’s seemingly love for the holidays, her daughter said she was quite “humbug” about them in reality. 

While Martha was pretending to be perfect, her own daughter suffered.  I’m not trying to dog on Martha, she was running a successful TV ‘show and magazine, writing cookbooks and who knows all of her other million obligations, there is now way she could DO IT ALL. 

She was never designed to DO IT ALL.

This my friends, is point of Imperfect People.

So many are wearing the masks of  “I have it all together” when families are falling apart. 

When the stress of the world tells us to go here, do that ,and be the leader of this, we have to KNOW what it is we are designed to do and don’t apologize for saying no to something that doesn’t fit into the mission God has given us. 

How do you know your mission?

List out your top 5 priorities.  The things that take up the majority of your time, talent, and treasure.  If all else fades,  if money didn’t matter, cross out your obligations one by one until you are left with the TWO that are most important.

Go ahead write them down.

What are you left with?

Hopefully it is family and faith. 

Of course we cannot ignore those other three priorities but i hope that shed light on the things that TRULY matter. 

Another way to help decide your mission is discovering what are you passionate about.   What gets you up in the morning and gets you excited? What are your gifts talents? 

Once you know what is most important, develop a family mission statement.  Deciding what is most important as a family helps you to say NO to the good opportunities so you can say YES to the best opportunities.  Examplehere.

Martha Stewart has talents no doubt, and I don’t think it is wrong that she had a successful career using those talents.  I just think she may have lost sight of what is MOST important. 

While loving the Lord with all our hearts is the MOST important, I believe family certainly comes way before career, hobbies, and fame and fortune.

How do you keep focus on the most important priorities?

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...