Last Word: Saturday July 25, 2020
“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong…so that no one may boast before God.”
– 1 Corinthians 1:27, 29
A theme I’ve been reflecting on a lot these past few months is weakness. With COVID-19 changing the world in ways I never imagined, I became really aware of my own weakness and lack of control over the future. My carefully crafted plans had never factored in the possibility of a pandemic. As a meticulous planner and ambitious goal-setter, I found myself in an uncomfortable place of uncertainty. I began to see my weakness and imperfections more clearly than ever.
I chose this verse because it is a reminder that God does not expect us to be perfect. In fact, it emphasizes that God specifically chooses the weak and the foolish, not the strong and the wise. Our imperfections and weaknesses provide opportunities for us to rely on God. No matter how wise or strong we think we are, the truth is that we always need God. We are all imperfect and that is okay. God loves us and calls us just as we are.
In my own experience I know that it can sometimes be hard to see myself as God sees me. I wanted to share a passage from the book Embers by Richard Wagamese that talks about seeing and accepting your whole self, imperfections included:
“When there’s a crack in my mirror, I can’t see myself as I am–all I see is the crack. The crack tells me that there is something wrong with me, that I’m not enough and that this is how others see me, too. It’s not a question of finding a better mirror. It’s about seeing beyond the crack. I am not, nor ever will be, perfect. But I don’t need to live for approval. I need to live for acceptance and joy in the unique, worthy, lovable, beautiful, sacred being that I am and to celebrate the same thing in others. That’s seeing beyond the crack. I’m learning to love my imperfections; in the end, they make me who I am, in all my flawed glory.”
We are all unique, worthy, lovable, beautiful, sacred beings. Yes, right in this moment, with all our weaknesses and imperfections. We are children of God, chosen and unconditionally loved. Let us pray:
Creator God,
Thank you for calling us and loving us just as we are. Give us clear vision to see ourselves and others as You see us. Help us to embrace our imperfections as opportunities to rely on and glorify You. Amen.
– Megan Meyer (WCB Kitchen Staff ’19, ’20)