Little Miss. Perfect
Posted on December 14, 2017 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call
Hi, my name is Erin and I have it all together.
Well… I actually don’t, but that’s what I want people to think.
Listen, I want to be as real and genuine and honest as I can be in my Victory Calls, but I realized that when I’m around people, that’s not always the case. I try to present myself like I have it all together… and I’m really good at it. I tell the people who are closest to me my struggles and disappointments, but I am VERY good at looking VERY good to everyone else. I almost always have a full face of makeup on, I’m always REALLY extroverted and outgoing, I hardly ever let anyone see me in a mood other than happy, I’m often making others laugh, and if anyone ever asks me how I am, I’m always ‘great!’ So imagine if I, Ms. Always-Put-Together, had to drop that persona
For. 5. Whole. Days.
Well, that happened. See, last Tuesday I threw out my back and wasn’t able to really walk (or really move at all) for 5 days. That meant that I wasn’t able to shower, put on makeup, brush my hair, or even change my shirt. That meant when my AMAZING (and so dearly loved) friends and family came to take care of me, they had to cook me food, they had to help me to the bathroom, they had to brush my hair, they had to help me get ready for bed, and they even had to help me walk on a walker. They had to see me in a state where I didn’t have it all together… and that was a really humbling experience. My pride was really hurt, because my “I have it all together” mindset is really just that – pride.
Galatians 6:2 commands us to bear one another’s burdens.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to encourage one another and build each other up.
James 5:16 encourages us to confess our struggles to one another so we can be prayed for.
Do you see the theme here? It means we can’t always present ourselves as perfect. We’re humans. The truth is we are broken people that God is continuously trying to mold into the image of His Son. My church recently went through a series called “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” and in that study we talked about just that – being transparent and real with one another when things aren’t perfect. It doesn’t mean you have to air out your dirty laundry to people you’re not particularly close with, and it doesn’t mean everyone needs to know your business. It means if you’re struggling, you don’t need to struggle alone. When God created Adam, he said that it was not good for man to be alone. Being real and transparent before others and before God can be really healing, and that is something He has really been teaching me in these past years. God created friends-and-family relationships for a reason, and one of their purposes is to encourage, pray with, and come alongside those they love when they need it. Isn’t he so amazing to provide for us like that?
Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She loves encouraging women through her Victory Calls and finds such joy in praying for her sisters in Christ. Her favorite activities include reading her Bible, encouraging others with scripture, buying new makeup, buying dresses, and eating at the Cheesecake Factory… In that order!
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