It started with a text from a friend letting me know she would be in town and wanted to grab lunch. I glanced over at my 3 year old who is still just a week post op- tonsillectomy. He is a little unpredictable generally, but recovery has left me not knowing moment to moment his mood. It has been over a week since I did anything that resembled fun and lunch with adults sounded wonderful but I knew I couldn’t load up 5 kids and go.
I looked around at all the unfinished things at my house. I have no kitchen faucet, the island is without a counter top, trim isn’t finished, light fixtures need to be installed, closets aren’t done…. The list is long. But I really wanted this opportunity to visit. I responded “I can’t got out for lunch but you are welcome to come here!” She responded with excitement to see the new place but I felt the need to disclose, “just so you know, it is a work in progress, excuse the mess and unfinished state!”
I couldn’t help but feel like that could be my life hashtag #excusethishotmessimaworkinprogress
Jesus is still working on me y’all! I mean it! Everyday I feel like I discover a ways I need to do better. I can want to hide my face and run away at some of the mistakes I make. I get embarrassed and insecure knowing I have so much to work on. I can easily let my work in progress state keep me from things, knowing I am flawed and imperfect.
Today I made lunch for friends in my unfinished, work in progress, no where close to perfect house. We laughed, dreamed, and enjoyed our few hours together. I could have missed out on this chance if I let the fact that we are still working on it bother me.
The truth is, we are all a work in progress. There isn’t one of us that will ever arrive at perfection and be able to say “I do not need to work on me any more!” But how often do we let the work in progress state we are in keep us from things? From my own experiences, I have found that perfection isn’t always inviting. Sometimes it is down right intimidating. When we allow ourselves to embrace the work in progress, knowing it won’t always be this way, we can lovingly invite others into our story, on our journey, and share our life!
Lets be brave enough to show our real, imperfect, work-in-progress lives to each other, so when Jesus makes new of what is a mess, others get to see that transformation too! Can we all love and extend grace to one another so can be a community of brave women, sharing our journey? Join me friends!
All the things 