She is a sinner, too.

Matthew 6:28-29 “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies of the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves, but I tell you that even Solomon with all of his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.”

Do not be more concerned with how you appear physically than how you are spiritually.

I’ve been open already about just how much my personality is bent towards perfectionism. I am very detail oriented and that serves me well in many aspects of my life, but where it does not serve me well at all is in my interactions with people.

Is it more important for people around us that we appear as perfect or imperfect? How easy is it to approach someone who looks absolutely perfect? For me, not very easy at all. I feel intimidated and “less than” before I have even opened my mouth. And if our goal is to positively influence those around us, the last thing I want people to think when they see me is her life is perfect.

No. I want them to know that I struggle with anger and lose my temper often. I want them to know that sometimes I look in the mirror and fixate on something I don’t like about my body. I want them to know that when an unannounced visitor shows up in my driveway I am shoving our junk (clothes, toys, sippy cups) anywhere it will fit.

But most importantly, I want them to know that every day Jesus meets me right where I am. He takes those imperfect parts of my personality and turns anger into patience, anxiety into thankfulness, and somehow by some miracle I worry less and am peaceful more. My home becomes more about loving people than having everything in its perfect place. A heaven sent transformation that I cannot take credit for.

I realize that it is in the imperfections where Jesus lives. Our sin reminds us that we are not perfect and we cannot do it alone. What a relief. And not only does Jesus cover our sins but He uses them to say to others, “Look! She is a sinner, too. But I have redeemed her. All she did was believe in Me. It’s that easy for you, too.”

God chose to put His message in us. Something so perfect put into something so broken. But it is through the broken pieces of ourselves that the light of Jesus shines through. So let them see it all- my mistakes, my imperfections, my flaws. Because I am just the messenger of a Savior who redeems.