…So lay down your burdens
Lay down your shame
All who are broken
Lift up your face
Oh wanderer come home
You’re not too far
So lay down your hurt
lay down your heart
Come as you are
David Crowder “Come as you are”
The other day I found myself feeling down about a few things in my life…I’m not as in shape as I would like to be…well, ok, I’m not really in shape at all. I have a shape…just not the one I want! I haven’t been as patient with my kids as I want to be. My lesson plans were falling behind and I felt like I was barely making it through each school day for the kids. I let the kids have snack too late in the day and then they didn’t want to eat dinner. I have things I need to get done around the house, but can’t seem to find the time to do between loads of laundry and rounds of Candy Land. My hair is always in a messy bun and yet I had great intentions of doing it every day when it got long. I haven’t updated the blog in what seems like forever. So, the list goes on, but the truth is it will always go on.
I was thinking about all the things I need to get done and somehow I think “If I can just get it done, then God will really be able to use me”. If I can just get this one area perfect, then I will be able to do what God needs me to do. I know He has asked me to do some things, but surely He wants me to wait until I get my life in perfect working order before I even attempt any of it. What.the.heck.am.I.thinking. He just wants me to come.
I am a wife, mom, homeschool teacher, daughter, friend, sister who will never have her life “all together”. I am human and I am imperfect. And yet, God still loves me and wants to use me. He wants me to come as I am.
As I read my Bible I see no mention of needing to get it all together before asking Jesus for help. I see people asking for help right where they are. Right at the point in their journey that they needed help, they asked. So why do I think I am any different? Why do we have people who believe they need to be perfect before coming to Christ? He is asking us to come as we are and allow Him to help be the one to change us. He wants to take our brokenness and make something new. He wants to take our chaos and help give it order. He wants to take our fears and help us grow our faith. He wants to take our messy and make it beautiful.
As I was thinking of all these things, with tears streaming down, one of my kids came and gave me a fierce squeeze. She said “moooom, I loooove you so much. To the stars and back and the moon and back. I love your squishy belly and your fat butt.” And then she smiled at me, kissed my finger and ran away. She loves me just the way I am. She doesn’t need me to be in my best shape to love me…she loves me for me. And she loves all of me. She doesn’t care about my list being done before she will spend time with me…she just wants me to get on the floor and play UNO with her. I could learn so much from the innocence of my children and the unconditional love they show for me.
I recently had the opportunity to get ‘real’ with a friend. You know the kind of real where you feel exposed and wonder if they will still be there once they know you. Not the you that everyone sees…but the you that only a few trusted people know. Yeah, that kind of real. It’s a beautiful thing to have friends in your life that will accept you…the good and the messy. The kind of friend who will be there for you and with you through the good and also through the times you need to cry ugly. Maybe for you it is easy to let people get that close, but for me it is scary. But, I am learning that when you do find a friend like that, all they are really saying is “come as you are. There is no need to be perfect, or have it all together. Life is a journey and it is best when shared.”
So, today, I challenge you to lay aside your fears, to lay aside your doubts and “come as you are” to whatever it is you are facing. There is no need to be perfect. Come as you are and see what God can do. Come as you are and love your families and let them love you. Come as you are and discover deep friendship. Just remember ….come as you are