My Favorite Thing About...

Recently at church, we've been doing this thing where every few weeks, one of the members will come up and share their favorite thing about Jesus. It’s been really good being reminded of all the indescribably amazing characteristics of Jesus Christ. It’s also been really interesting getting an insight into the hearts and minds of my church family, seeing what things they think they lack, or what they value based on what their favorite aspect of our Savior is.  But it got me thinking, “What is MY favorite thing about Jesus?” I went back and forth for a few weeks going over a few of Jesus’ attributes:

1.       Power

A year ago, this would have been my default answer. Being 5’3”, a woman, and shy, I have rarely felt like I had power. That made it something to admire in others. I love that Jesus has power. He’s not just talk. He has the power and integrity to back up his words and promises with action. He has the power to “git ‘er dun”. (Sorry, folks, my Missouri is coming out.) He can change anything!

2.       Control

He has everything in His hands. So often I feel completely out of control, out of my depth, lost. I am an over-thinker and I have a tendency to worry. But I don’t have to worry about anything because God is in control. He knows the end from the beginning; he is outside of time, and has the power to be in control.

3.       Love

He has the deepest, unfailing, faithful, unfathomable, unconditional, unchangeable love. He gave up everything for me! God gave up his only Son, so that if I believed in him, I could have eternal life, completely and perfectly in connection with the one and only perfect God, creator of the universe. He chose me. I am NOT perfect, as evidenced by the title of my blog and by my life for those who know me. I have made, I don’t know how many mistakes, yet he chose me to be a part of his family while I was still the dirty ragamuffin out in the yard refusing to obey. He loves me completely because he knows me completely. He’s seen all my dirty laundry, he knows my innermost thoughts and desires, and he loves me. Nothing I can ever say or do will change his mind on loving me. I can’t change his opinion, no matter how hard I try.

With all these attributes in mind, I came to the conclusion that my favorite thing about Jesus is that he makes me feel safe. It’s the combination of these attributes, and just the overall character of God that makes me feel comfortable in my own skin. I feel safe. The depth of his love helps me trust his control over the things in my life, ultimately over all of me, because I know his plan is perfect for me. And I can rest knowing he has the power to actually be in control and to change what He wills in my life, and in the world.  

My favorite thing about Jesus is that he makes me feel safe.

Why the Title?

“Rambling of the Imperfect” came to me on a long drive across the state late at night. I was contemplating conversations I’d had with friends on my visit and reconsidering whether or not to start this blog. Questions swam in my head: what would it be called? What would I write about? So, I started thinking back through my life.

The only true constant in my life has been Jesus Christ. I met Jesus going to church as a young girl, learning about Him from my parents and in Sunday School. But it really hit home on a Christian TV program for children called Becky’s Barn. At the end of each episode they’d do a little ditty on the gospel and I remember being scared because they said people who didn’t believe in Jesus were going to hell. So, I immediately ran upstairs to ask my mom if it was true and if I could ask Jesus into my heart. I was four years old. She talked and prayed with me. I remember sitting at the top of the stairs waiting for my father to come home from work so I could tell him what happened. He prayed with me there too. And I remember feeling physically better, happy, relieved; I knew in that moment I was not going to hell. Around 12 years old, I was questioning my salvation and whether or not I’d really understood that decision as a 4-year-old. I remember praying over and over, asking Jesus to come into my life, to show me if I’d really been saved. I remember I was in the bathroom (a great place for revelation) praying for salvation for the umpteenth time, when a thought came as clear as day, “Why are you asking when you already know the answer?” and that was it, all the clarity I needed: a "duh!" moment. A few months later, I was baptized, recognizing my decision to submit to Christ all my heart, soul, body, and mind, my whole life in front of my family of believers who could keep me accountable.

It was a year or two later at a youth camp when I was filled with the Holy Spirit. At that time, I was with a group of church kids who weren’t really sure of the validity of all this “spirit stuff”, sure that everyone was “just faking it”. In this particular meeting, several people had gone to the front of the auditorium to be prayed for to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Off to the left, a group of them were laying on the floor, some laughing hysterically, some were crying, and some were speaking in gibberish. I skeptically went over to look and laugh at those who were obviously acting ridiculous. I began laughing at them, and it was almost like the laughter overtook me. I was laughing uncontrollably now; I couldn't stop! I was filled with a joy that resonated through my soul, seemed to touch every part of my body. (Needless to say, it was a good ab workout.) I fell on the floor with the others and continued to laugh for several hours, even after they had to kick us out of the building to lock up.

Since then, there have been ups and downs in my life, but I have known with certainty that I can rely on God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, as a constant in my life that will never let me down.

The older I get, the more I realize just how screwed up the world is and how imperfect I am. I make mistakes all the time. I can be inconsistent, I can let commitments fall through, I can say and do things I regret.... over and over again. This only serves to remind me time and time again, just how much I need Jesus. I am imperfect; He is perfect and yet he chose to adopt me into his family, to let me be in relationship with Him, to love me so much that the only possible response is to love Him back.

So in thinking about what to title these crazy thoughts of mine to be posted on the inter-web, "Rambling of the Imperfect" just seemed right.

Hello World!

Hello there Reader!

You may be thinking, "Oh great! Yet another crazy blogger added to the already inundated blogosphere! What could this girl possibly have to say that someone else isn't already saying?"

To answer this query (that you may or may not have been thinking up to this moment), I will address the Who, the What, and the Why of this particular blog.

WHO?

I am a mid-20s single female living in Missouri, USA. I enjoy music of all kinds (especially acapella), ballroom dancing, and being with people. I dislike arrogance, chocolate (minuscule amounts in moderation is acceptable), and all things gummy (excluding old people with no teeth, they’re okay).  I love Jesus Christ, my family, and my church.

WHAT?
I anticipate the majority of my writings to concern my thought processes over revelations I’ve had reading my Bible, talking to my family-in-Christ. However, I also want to be honest about things I am struggling through. I'm sure a few random topics and anecdotes will get thrown in there too.

WHY?

I find that it’s often good to share with one another our honest struggles, to be vulnerable. It’s also encouraging to hear from one another what God is saying through His words in scripture. Also, I find that I process life easier if I can write it out, or just know that someone else is having the same thoughts I am. 

Honestly, I probably will say nothing that you haven't heard before in some way, shape, or form. However, I may say it in a way that finally makes sense, or with a different perspective than you've previously encountered. And I find that gathering stories, experience, advice and insight from as many different places as possible ultimately gives the best picture, as well as keeps things interesting.

So if at times you face struggles, feel lonely, need a perspective change, enjoy praying for others, want some links to other inspiring blogs, talks, and videos, or just want to kill some time… check out “Rambling of the Imperfect”!

I hope and pray that you'll be able to get something from my ramblings, even if it's only a laugh at my expense. I look forward to this adventure with you!