Perfectly Imperfectly Human
“Imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together.”
Brene Brown
Imperfect. Imperfectly human. Made in the image of God. Still, with all that image-bearing potential, we are imperfect. My grandchildren are wonderfully made and completely embracing their imperfections. I wish I were able to do the same with my own imperfections.
No healthy adult burdens a child with character assassinations simply for being imperfectly human. When one of my grandkids grabs, scratches or hits the other - the offender is removed and given a break. They sit. They count. They breathe. They return to the family activity. No one accuses them of being mean or violent or selfish or rude because those are judgment words. If we can manage as a family to NOT assassinate their character as we continue to train them in righteousness, I don’t think either one of them will be tempted to turn to serial killing for sport. But not everyone is so lucky.
During quarantine I’ve been cleaning out the corners of my house. I finally got around to old family photos, trying to pare them down to a more manageable size. I found old pictures of myself from all stages of life and I thought: Wow. I looked normal. This is NOT the message I received from a few of the people I loved and looked up to. These messages fundamentally changed me in ways I still have to account for in terms of my mental health self-care. Did anyone intend harm? I doubt it. I do believe we are all doing the best we can AND sometimes our best is not very effective. How have imperfections been handled in your world? More on suggestions for change tomorrow.
