Three Men and a Lady

P and K,

I promise to try my hardest to be authentic. I want to be the same mom at home and at church. I see too many people representing themselves in a false or fake manner when in public..sadly this has seeped in to the church. If I were to act different at home than I do at church, this only confuses your perspective of God. I want my speech to be the same in private as it is in public. I want to react the same in church as I would in the secrecy of our home. I give you permission to call me out if you feel like I am putting forth a false face at church.

One of the greatest gifts I can give you is a glimpse of a genuine faith. If you see me fail (correction: when you see me fail), I will humbly ask for your forgiveness instead of ignoring my shortcomings. I will not hide my imperfections from you. If I act as if a faith in Christ requires perfection, you are not going to be drawn to Jesus. But, if you see that a faith in Christ requires authenticity, it makes Jesus so much more attractive. I will fail you. I will at times act in a manner that is contrary to the character of Christ. These are not excuses for my behavior. My sinfulness is a fact of my life. But that is what is so beautiful about Jesus. He forgives my sin, which is inevitable, and carries my burden while opening the door for me to connect with God.

I want you to see me fail. I want you to see me struggle. I want you to see that a journey with Jesus isn't a nicely paved, easily traveled road. It is a narrow path, and often a bumpy one. But that is what makes Jesus so necessary. If I were on my own, I'd stay down after a failure. I'd be crippled after a mistake, and handicapped after a disappointment or loss. But being with Jesus means that he lifts me up, dusts me off, and sets my feet on a more solid ground.

I vow to live out a genuine life and a real faith. You will not see a flawless journey, but you will see Jesus who creates my faith and perfects my faith. I love what the Apostle Paul says in that his weaknesses and failures highlight the majesty and power of Jesus. So, you may see me struggle, but in that struggle, you will see the rescuing and redeeming power of Jesus.