Connection Over Perfection
Yesterday was a tough one for me. Nothing big happened, but all day long it felt like one small thing after another until I was looking up at a mountain of negativity and challenges. I went to bed feeling defeated and frustrated with myself and with God. That’s not pretty, but it’s the truth.
For me, one of the most challenging aspects of the online world is figuring out how to show up in this space when I’m not doing my best. Being vulnerable doesn’t come easily for me, and when I’m struggling my first instinct is to hide it in any way I can. To just tuck it all away and deal with it later, so that no one else has to experience the struggle. It’s important for me to always be positive and to create a space where others feel inspired and encouraged, but it’s also important for me to be honest and to create a space where others feel accepted and understood.
So today I’m talking to you as someone who still woke up feeling drained and defeated. My difficulty isn’t wrapped up neatly in a nice bow and being presented with a card that says “I struggle too, and this is how I fix it.” No, this is more like showing you my bedroom after a morning of not knowing what to wear. My negativity tucked away in the corner like dirty laundry, attempts at encouragement thrown around like a shirt that didn’t fit quite right, and me standing in the middle trying to sort through it all.
I think one of the most dangerous things we can do as humans is believing the lie that to be loved and respected we have to have it all together. That our bad days and mistakes have to be hidden so that we can maintain a certain image. Or that people will think less of us for not being a robot who never has hard days or makes mistakes. We hold ourselves to an impossible standard that was never meant for us.
We weren’t created for perfection, we were created for connection. And when we choose to weather our struggles alone, we are robbing others and ourselves of the opportunity to experience that intended connection. To show love and receive love the way God calls us to.
So today I’m here saying “yesterday was hard, but I hope today will be better, and tomorrow will be better than today.” And I hope, that in some roundabout way, that helps you feel like you have permission to have hard days and that hopefully there will be better tomorrows ahead for you too.
But more than anything, I hope that in the middle of our pain and challenges we would seek out connection. Connection with the Lord, with those around us and with ourselves. And that these connections would build us up and strengthen us so that the next storm doesn’t hit so hard. The next lie doesn’t make such a big impact. And the next hard day doesn’t last so long.
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.” — 1 John 4:7