thoughtful thursday.

one thing that is difficult for me to let go of

is my desire to be perfect.

i know that i'm imperfect, and that i will never be perfect.

but i still strive for things in my life to be perfect.

growing up it was my grades and my image.

and i think the reason i tried is because i thought i had control of it.

and i didn't want to let it go.

as it turns out,

the only perfect person that ever walked this earth was jesus.

and i will never be him.

sure, he wants us to live our lives in a way that models his.

loving others the way he did.

constantly staying pure and holy.

but he also knows that we all fall short of God's glory.

that doesn't mean we stop trying.

it means that by the grace of God, we are able to continue to try.

c.s. lewis quoted, "'Be Ye Perfect' isn't a command to do the impossible.

Christ is going to make us creatures that can obey that command."

that means for us to forgive the inexcusable,

because God forgave our inexcusable behavior.

and it also means to allow Him to show you what perfect love looks like.

it doesn't look like the mirror.

it looks like jesus.

he knows your imperfections and flaws.

 but he still loves you anyways.

so those people who walked out of your life because 

you have something they don't want.

or you lack something that they do want.

God will never do that.

He is shaping us daily and making beauty from the ashes.

if you're still here on this earth, it means that  

He's not finished with you yet.

"the Lord make his face  shine upon you and be gracious towards you." - numbers 6:25