Because I'm Not Perfect

We used paper plates for dinner tonight while rows of clean, white china sat unused in the cabinets. And, on those paper plates sat leftovers, roasted chicken revived with herbs, barbecue sauce and a simple side of raspberries. 

Because I’m not perfect.

Unfolded laundry was pushed to the side of the bed as we collapsed from a day of playing, learning, and working. It may be put away tomorrow, but maybe not.

Because I’m not perfect.

Because sometimes you have to push aside some of the chores and the allure of perfection to savor the moments with your family.  Sometimes, the workout gets skipped in favor of coffee and laughs with your friends.  Sometimes, you realize that certain things are more important than others.

Today, I also raised my voice too many times, nagged my husband, and hardly gave my dogs any attention.

I wore mismatched socks.  I ate half a pint of Ben and Jerrys.  I cursed under my breath. 

Because, yes, I’m not perfect.

And, there may be moments when the notes of imperfection seem to take over until our lives are filled with discord.  

It’s those moments of ugliness and character flaws that remind us that we are only human, that we need to slow down, get more sleep, and ask for forgiveness.  

Life is about falling down and then getting back up again.  It’s grace that allows me to get up again and again.  

Recently, I came across this quote from Emily Ley that rang true for me:  "I will hold myself to a standard of grace Not perfection."

I may have stumbled a few times throughout the week, but that’s okay because I’ve decided to swim in the pool of grace: unconditional love that keeps on giving and forgiving.  

If I think about life this way, in the grand scheme of things, I realize I’m doing better than I thought.

I know this when I hear my children laughing wildly, their eyes lighting up with joy.   

I know this when my children run into my arms after I’ve only been gone for an hour.  And, I know this when my husband looks at me lovingly, even on my worst days. 

When I notice my daughter’s latest drawing of four smiling people is captioned ‘I love my family,’ I know that I’m doing something right.  

And then there’s this:

“Grace is the love of God shown to the unlovely; the peace of God given to the restless; the unmerited favor of God.” ~ Justin Holcomb

By focusing on grace rather than perfection, I can deal with my shortcomings.

Because I’m not perfect, but God loves me anyways. Tweet this: http://ctt.ec/w6f91

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The Illusion of Perfection

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved looking at model homes. Fresh paint.  New lawns. Carefully placed decor.  

A few weeks ago, we went to look at model homes in our area.  Having always lived in a one-story home, my kids enjoyed going up and down the stairs, checking out the kids’ bedrooms, and seeing what was in the pantry.

My husband and I marveled at the walk-in closets, luxurious baths, and beautiful molding.  Everything was perfect.  

Yet, even though those houses and condos had pictures of families, working televisions, and decorations, those homes were an illusion of perfection. 

As much as I loved the designer decor, I realized how impractical most of the decorations and furniture was for a family, especially one with small children.

Tweet This: Life with kids means your house is a little dirtier but your heart is fuller. http://ctt.ec/DPp7T

For instance, the toddler bed frame was about four feet of the ground without any sort of guard rail.  It was so tall and narrow, I’m pretty sure my three-old-old would fall off that bed multiple times during the night. I saw fragile vases hanging out on the edges of tables. One little bump and it would come crashing to the floor. And, as for all the white furniture and bedspreads, well in my house, it wouldn’t take long for it to have cat hair and a smear of peanut butter on it.

In the model house, there wasn’t any dirty laundry. The drawers were empty. There weren’t any stubby crayons or fingerprints on the windows. There weren’t any giggles erupting from the backyard and chalk drawings on the driveway. 

Our house isn’t messy, but it’s lived in.  

As much as I liked the idea of living in a model home….it’s not realistic.  

Because life with kids means your house is a little dirtier but your heart is fuller. 

And, even when my house is really clean, you’ll still probably find a hamper full of laundry, some rogue toys stuffed into a closet, and some scuffs along the baseboards. 

My kids might be fighting over the last juice box or the lone ice pop in the freezer. Or they might be finger painting and making an absolute mess...and loving it.

My house isn’t perfect. It’s filled with sticky spots on the floor, dirty dishes, and snotty tissues.

 And, even if it did look perfect (for a few seconds that is), my life wouldn't be. There will still be disagreements and disappointments. 

My family isn’t perfect. I'm not perfect. Life isn't perfect. 

I don’t love my life all the time, but I do know that underneath the messes and the squabbles, there is a lot of beauty. There are some flawless moments weaved into the tapestry of life.

And, that's not an illusion.

Do you ever get wrapped up in the notion of perfection? 

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