Do you ever feel like you are Monday? That no matter what you do, you are a disappointment, a failure, imperfect? A reminder of all that can go wrong?
I think, as humans in general, we put a lot of emphasis on perfection. And, as a woman, I blame Martha Stewart (sort of). I mean really? No one I know can perfectly fold a fitted sheet. I watched Martha school Oprah one day on television… trying to teach her how to fold the fitted sheet perfectly. I feel slightly better that Oprah failed the test (however, she can afford to pay someone to fold them for her). And who has the time (or the will power) to iron sheets? Not this chica. I finally saw an idea (on pinterest of course) where you put the folded flat sheet and the semi-folded fitted sheet inside the matching pillow case and voila, a nice and easy way to store your sheets. GENIUS! Of course, we all know that even Martha isn't perfect (even she wore prison orange for a while). But, she can fold a perfect fitted sheet like a boss!
Anyway, back to perfection…We strive to wear the perfect outfit, maintain the perfect house, have the perfect job, have the perfect body, have perfect hair, eat the right kinds of food, drink the right types of drinks, and raise the perfect kids (hahahaha… the only people with perfect kids are those who haven't had them yet). We try to be the perfect Christian by attending the perfect amount of church services, praying the perfect prayer, perfectly reading the complete Bible every year, participating in the perfect amount of church activities, and saying the perfect thing 100% of the time (and it's best if we can quote a scripture that supports our point). We must worship the perfect way(make sure you raise your hands and clap on cue to show that you are actively participating in worship) and respond to the correct alter calls (but only respond to those that don't expose anything we want to remain hidden i.e. respond to those saying we want to draw closer to God, but not respond to those that call for any kind of repentance because we might expose the fact that we aren't perfect). We have to make sure that our kids are dressed perfectly. Not too risqué -- especially the girls, but not too old fashioned. No skulls or anything that might be considered too edgy. Definitely no tattoos or piercings other than your ears. Our children must attend the perfect amount youth programs and functions to show that they have a "true" relationship with God. And on and on it goes.
Let me stop you right now if you are feeling burdened by perfection. Perfection is a myth. Now, I have to say, I like things that are done well. I like to do things well. And, I strive to do things to the best of my ability. But I've decided to kick this thought of utter and complete perfection to the curb. I'm "letting it go" as the Disney song states. Good-bye perfection, I never really knew you and I don't particularly like how you made me feel about myself or life in general. The whole reason that God sent his son to earth was because we, as humans, can never be perfect.
"You do not have to be perfect to be loved by God."
"God doesn't love some future version of you, God loves you as you are right now."
"You are loved beyond measure. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken."
Here's what you need to understand about yourself, and about the people around you. God loves you. He knows everything about you, and He loves you. He knows every dark thought, every misdeed, every mistake you have ever made. And He loves you. You can turn away from God's love, but that doesn't change the fact that He loves you. You will never outrun God's love. You will never go to a place where God's love for you can't follow. And, there is nothing you can do to earn God's love. It just is. It is constant. Can you disappoint God? Sure, but He will still love you. Can you reject His love? Sure, but He will still love you. Your refusal to accept or acknowledge His love for you doesn't change the fact that His love is still there.
So, I guess what I'm saying to you is that God's love isn't based on you achieving perfection. Don't confuse God's love with the love of people. Often, people's love for you is conditional. God's isn't. God loves you right now, right where you are at, right in the middle of your mess.
I'll leave you with a few photos today from nature. These photos prove that there is beauty in imperfection.
These flowers are at the end of their "life", but they still hold a kind of imperfect beauty.
This spider web was almost completely destroyed by the rain, yet enough of the web held together to support the raindrops, which make it look like a jewel encrusted thread.
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