Making Nobodies, Somebodies
This blog is for the "unperfect" people out there. (See what I did there? And yes, I know it's not a real word...but I'm crazy like that.) Those of us that feed our kids mac and cheese for breakfast instead of Pinterest-perfect, gluten free pancakes with sugar free sprinkles and organic fruit arranged to resemble the Mona Lisa. Those of us that have cabinets and drawers oozing with piles of stuff consisting of your kids old school projects (a mom can not throw away any masterpiece their child lovingly made them, it's in the mom-Bible), at least five years of Christmas card photos of friends (when is it acceptable to throw these away?), gazillions of happy meal toys (that your kids never play with any more), notes from teachers you forgot to read (oops), magazines you hope to read (right), bills you don't want to read (yuck)...and so on and so on. Every time the cabinet door swings open, it is like a game of Russian Roulette. Who will it finally collapse on?! This blog is for those of us that have dust on our furniture, smudges on our windows, french fries under our car seats and animal hair on our clothes.
Those of us that are not perfect.
You too? I'm not the only one?
Thank God.
In a world of social media where everyone displays their best photos and best moments of life, it's easy to compare your life to theirs and say, "How do they do it? How do they have perfectly dressed kids with perfect grades in their perfectly clean home where they prepare their perfect meals with their perfect husband that they just adore who does no wrong?! I'm over here just trying to whip up a pop tart as I run a hairbrush through my screaming daughter's hair while she finishes that assignment she remembered this morning before school and not accuse my husband of leaving an empty milk jug in the fridge just to spite me...all before we race out of the drive way in the morning!!" Good times.
We tend to forget that the highlights are usually all we are privy to...nobody posts the ugly, behind-the-scenes moments of life: "On the way to school today I yelled at my kids for being late again again and made them cry." Or, "My house is so dirty, I think a dust bunny just had babies in the corner!" Or, "I've managed to stay in my pajamas for two straight days." (Not that I would ever do any of those things...but I've heard of "others" that have.) Not many are quite so candid.
So...when God laid it on my heart to start a blog, I had to ask myself, "What do I have to offer the world? What am I saying that isn't already being said? What qualifies me to be an expert on anything?"
Those of us that are not perfect.
You too? I'm not the only one?
Thank God.
In a world of social media where everyone displays their best photos and best moments of life, it's easy to compare your life to theirs and say, "How do they do it? How do they have perfectly dressed kids with perfect grades in their perfectly clean home where they prepare their perfect meals with their perfect husband that they just adore who does no wrong?! I'm over here just trying to whip up a pop tart as I run a hairbrush through my screaming daughter's hair while she finishes that assignment she remembered this morning before school and not accuse my husband of leaving an empty milk jug in the fridge just to spite me...all before we race out of the drive way in the morning!!" Good times.
We tend to forget that the highlights are usually all we are privy to...nobody posts the ugly, behind-the-scenes moments of life: "On the way to school today I yelled at my kids for being late again again and made them cry." Or, "My house is so dirty, I think a dust bunny just had babies in the corner!" Or, "I've managed to stay in my pajamas for two straight days." (Not that I would ever do any of those things...but I've heard of "others" that have.) Not many are quite so candid.
So...when God laid it on my heart to start a blog, I had to ask myself, "What do I have to offer the world? What am I saying that isn't already being said? What qualifies me to be an expert on anything?"
Real. Life. Experiences.
I live life as a Christian woman, wife, mom and church employee. And I'm not perfect. And God knows it. And I just started three sentences with "and" in my first blog...but you'll have to forgive me, because I'm not perfect. I'm me. The "me" God intended me to be. Even in my imperfections, God can use me. I can reach the other "unperfect" people out there.
Honestly, taking imperfect people and making them shine is God's specialty. Just look at the Bible! It's filled with all sorts of "unperfect" people. A harlot, a liar, a thief, a stutterer, a tax collector, an adulteress, a murderer...and the list goes on. The only perfect character in this story is Jesus...and they killed Him!
Honestly, taking imperfect people and making them shine is God's specialty. Just look at the Bible! It's filled with all sorts of "unperfect" people. A harlot, a liar, a thief, a stutterer, a tax collector, an adulteress, a murderer...and the list goes on. The only perfect character in this story is Jesus...and they killed Him!
I love this verse in the Message Bible:
I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved. In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!” they’re calling you “God’s living children.” (Romans 9:25-26 MSG)
He makes nobodies, somebodies.
Who doesn't love a Cinderella story? Who doesn't root for the under dog? We can all relate with the misfits because we all have a little misfit inside of us. That moment in junior high when you first walk in the lunch room and have that terrifying anxiety as you look out at the expanse of judgmental (and acne filled) faces staring at you and you have no idea where to sit! We all have those moments, all throughout life. It may be mid-age or just an immunity I've built up against many awkward moments...but I'm learning to embrace the awkwardness. I'm striving to live life unashamed of who I am...even in my "unperfectness." Because, in all honesty, we all feel awkward, less-than or not good enough at times.
I’ll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I’ll call the unloved and make them beloved. In the place where they yelled out, “You’re nobody!” they’re calling you “God’s living children.” (Romans 9:25-26 MSG)
He makes nobodies, somebodies.
Who doesn't love a Cinderella story? Who doesn't root for the under dog? We can all relate with the misfits because we all have a little misfit inside of us. That moment in junior high when you first walk in the lunch room and have that terrifying anxiety as you look out at the expanse of judgmental (and acne filled) faces staring at you and you have no idea where to sit! We all have those moments, all throughout life. It may be mid-age or just an immunity I've built up against many awkward moments...but I'm learning to embrace the awkwardness. I'm striving to live life unashamed of who I am...even in my "unperfectness." Because, in all honesty, we all feel awkward, less-than or not good enough at times.
But God uses us anyway.
Sometimes in spite of ourselves...and sometimes those little quirks are exactly what He uses to reach others. That moment when someone says, "You too?! I thought I was the only one!" And a connection is made and a window to reach someone is opened.
So here is my attempt to embrace the awkward, to reach the "unperfects" out there, to make my mark in the world. My blog. Filled with run-on sentences, misplaced or missing commas and a lot of overused ellipses...because I love that time to think...it's my way of saying "Selah...pause and calmly think on that." And it's not perfect...but it's okay, because it's just me...and it's real.
Welcome to my "unperfect" blog, for not-so-perfect people living in an imperfect world. I hope it touches you and cheers you on through all the messy, beautiful, real moments of life.
So here is my attempt to embrace the awkward, to reach the "unperfects" out there, to make my mark in the world. My blog. Filled with run-on sentences, misplaced or missing commas and a lot of overused ellipses...because I love that time to think...it's my way of saying "Selah...pause and calmly think on that." And it's not perfect...but it's okay, because it's just me...and it's real.
Welcome to my "unperfect" blog, for not-so-perfect people living in an imperfect world. I hope it touches you and cheers you on through all the messy, beautiful, real moments of life.
