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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Free to Be ME?


Let me be honest.

A confession if you will.

I'm a simple girl, but there are a few things that I really like. Besides chocolate, I love my comfy jeans. You know the ones. The ones with rips and tears that would send Clinton and Stacy into a tailspin if they saw me walking down the street. But I LOVE those jeans.

AND



I've always wanted an old truck. I envision a dirt road. Me in my ripped jeans, winding up the country road with a truck bed filled with flowers and fresh vegetables.




IMAGINE my surprise when I heard the lyrics for the first time.

"I've got a couple dents in my fender, got a couple rips in my jeans. Try to fit the pieces together, but perfection is my enemy."

I
It's been that way most of my life.

Perfection ~ trying to achieve the unachievable and trying to fit into the idea of what the world tells me just how perfect I should be.

Perfect wife,

Perfect mother,

Perfect size,

Perfect weight,

Perfectly beautiful,

Perfectly intelligent,

Perfect daughter and daughter in law,

Perfect friend,

Perfect employee,

Perfect teacher.

Speaking from experience, it's exhausting trying to live up to expectations of perfection. Especially your own.

Apparently, after listening to Francesca Battistelli's Free to Be Me, I'm not the only one out there.

It wasn't until God got a hold of my heart, beat down the door of perfection that it became clear. Perfection was my enemy. It was the door in which the enemy slid himself in and whispered lie after lie.

The lies led to nothing that was worthy or glorifying. It simply couldn't be. I was too worried about those other things, I had no idea what I was really missing. Listening to those lies led to an eating disorder and an emptiness that I couldn't put my finger on.

It was in finally in deadbolting and locking the back door that the enemy so discreetly snuck in and flinging wide OPEN the front door to my heart that God came.

God came beautifully ready to renew, restore and remake.

The lies surround us. They surround women I know who are well into their grandmothering years. We tend to think that these things leave us.

They don't.

They continue to attack us, those lies continue to discourage us, deceive us and defeat us. Leaving us left with doubt.

The WONDERFUL NEWS is that the lies are simply LIES. Hear me, please hear me, God loves YOU, EXACTLY where you are right now. Not "WHEN" or "IF" or "Sometime down the road", He LOVES YOU, EXACTLY where YOU find yourself at this moment.
The more time we spend believing the lies or trying to achieve perfection the less we are focused on Christ, and that is exactly where the enemy would love for you to stay.

I believe God loves the rips in my jeans.

They tell a story, the story of my life. My mistakes, my joys, my beginnings and my lessons learned. The story of my imperfect life and my need for Him to constantly "mend" me.

As for the "dents in my fender," well, they show that I've delivered three children, all miracles. They show 41 years under my belt. Those "dents" were earned, and are a symbol of the wisdom I've picked up along the way. Lessons learned. The good, the bad and the ugly. Those "dents" are my character, the character that only I possess.

Only I possess.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
Psalm 139:14

Embrace those "dents in your fender and those rips in your jeans." God wants to see those dents and embrace the rips and together you'll be "sitting on HIS shoulder, free to be YOU!"

Francesca Battistelli's video is below. If you struggle with perfection, I encourage you to listen to it. It just may speak to your heart.

May you find Peace in knowing you are Free to be You!











Join Lori daily at her personal blogspot, where at the very least, she is embracing the "dents in her fender and the rips in her jeans," each day thankful that she is Free to Be in Him.


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16 Comments:

Blogger tammi said...

I was just speaking to God about this very thing yesterday ~ asking Him to help me strive for HIS idea of beauty, inside and out. SO different from the world's ideals. Thanks for driving home the message! (haha, and in your vintage truck, no less!!)

May 20, 2009 at 6:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank You! This uplifted me in the sweetest way ever!

God Bless!

May 20, 2009 at 7:31 AM  
Blogger teri-free2bme said...

Thank you for this post... just another constant reminder that God created each of us unique and special. I broke out of my "wanting to be perfect" and "people pleaser" mode some time ago. I celebrate who God has made me to be and stive only to be perfected in Christ and please only Him.

Blessing ya'all!
Teri @
http://teri-free2bme.blogspot.com/

May 20, 2009 at 7:59 AM  
Blogger Beth in NC said...

That was a wonderful post! I have dealt with some similar struggles in my life.

God bless you for encouraging us all to love who we are and accept God's love for us, where we are NOW.

May 20, 2009 at 8:13 AM  
Blogger Christa said...

Thank you

May 20, 2009 at 8:37 AM  
Blogger Danyele Easterhaus said...

this is perfectly awesome...can i say that? yes, i can, bc only god can show perfection and this is of the lord, for sure!

thank you soooo much! i am going to use this for my devo with my hs girls this week! love it!

May 20, 2009 at 9:24 AM  
Blogger Kara @ Just1Step said...

Great post. Thanks for the song. It's very uplifting. :)

May 20, 2009 at 9:27 AM  
Blogger Stephanie said...

Thank You Lori for this post, I enjoyed the song I am going to get that song for my Young Womens Ministry for praise and worship.

May 20, 2009 at 9:36 AM  
Blogger Laurie Ann said...

A hearty Amen! The Enemy has placed within us a desire for perfection in the world, but the truth of God is that we are beautiful in His eyes. I love it, Lori.

May 20, 2009 at 10:48 AM  
Blogger Melanie said...

I love this song, Lori! It really speaks to me, too!

May 20, 2009 at 12:07 PM  
Blogger Denise said...

Thanks for being so inspiring.

May 20, 2009 at 9:36 PM  
Blogger Patty Wysong said...

SO well said.
SO important for us to hear
and BELIEVE!

I love that--embrace the dents. *grin* I'll remember that--Thank you!!
Huggles!

May 20, 2009 at 9:38 PM  
Blogger Aunt Angie said...

Oh girlfriend....I am there!!! With all the dents, rips and tears of life.

I loved this post! TRULY loved IT!

This is exactly what the Free to be me Bloggers Retreat is all about...letting go and letting HIM---be in us exactly what He desires to be---and show us WHO HE WANTS us to become in HIM!!!

I love this!

May 21, 2009 at 11:15 AM  
Blogger Aunt Angie said...

AND I love you!!!

May 21, 2009 at 11:15 AM  
Blogger Susan D. said...

Thank you for this post, Lori. My daughter struggled with an eating disorder from the time she was 15 years old until she was around 25.
And like you said it never really goes away. So many women out there need to hear your words.
Bless you,
Susan D.

May 22, 2009 at 2:57 PM  
Anonymous Crystal said...

Thanks. Needed to hear this tonight. Very uplifting & something to ponder if we have not yet embraced the truth in these words.

January 23, 2010 at 1:48 AM  

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