Go with Grace

Chapter 24 Perfectly Imperfect

The kayaking launch spot that is closest to my house is probably the most worn-down area on the lake. It’s old and pretty run-down compared to everything that has been built recently along the water. The majority of the lake is now covered with million-dollar homes with million-dollar views. This spot isn’t the most ideal for Jet Skis and powerboats, and the only thing we usually see is other kayakers and some small fishing boats. The spot isn’t ideal for larger boats because the water levels are never more than a few feet high—even at the peak of the season. Larger boats just can’t make it through there, which makes it perfect for kayaks and small fishing boats.

I love that spot because we have access to the lake and two rivers: the North Fork River
and the Catawba River. Many maps have them listed together as the North Fork Catawba River,
but they are not the same river. Both rivers have their own waterfalls, which start in our little
town. One river starts at the north end of the county, and the other one starts on the western side. Our favorite little spot is the terribly rickety old pier, which is on the cover of this book. It has several leans and tilts in it, and it looks like it could fall down with a good shove. This location isn’t the most perfect by today’s standards of a lakefront property, but for me, it’s perfectly imperfect. In fact, if I am ever able to purchase that plot of land, I would buy it in a heartbeat and turn it into a permanent public access point for everyone to enjoy. That spot isn’t perfect at all, but imperfection is more beautiful than the perfection of the other locations on the lake.

While writing this book, I had a pretty bad hit to my head at work and suffered a nasty
concussion. I couldn’t run or kayak, which was a total bummer. I wasn’t able to work or drive
for four weeks. That accident taught me to let others help me with the big rocks in my life. Give
yourself some grace—and let others help you conquer the big rocks in your life. Striving for
perfection and trying to do things on your own is silly.

In our attempts to plan our goals and create our daily routines, we might want to strive for perfection. We think that planning our lives will make everything turn out fine. We think it will
all look perfect. However, no matter how much planning you do, everything isn’t going to work
out just as you planned. It’s going to be imperfect, and that is OK.

We are human, and we are designed to be perfectly imperfect. Giving ourselves the grace to be imperfect and messy is the key to finding inner balance and peace and trying to become better today than we were yesterday. We can strive to be our best as we go through life, but the imperfection is what makes it real and beautiful. It allows us to give ourselves grace, rely on others, and focus on God’s goodness and strength.

We need to aim to be our best, and we must plan to be our best. We need to reach for our God-focused and God-sized dreams and the tasks we are given each day. At the end of the day, we are not perfect. We need to try to be what God wants us to be, but we are not perfect. You have to give yourself grace because you are going to fall short. You are going to face obstacles, things will be out of your control, and you are going to make mistakes.

As you give yourself grace, you need to fall back on the strength of God. You must go
back to him for that strength. As you are doing the grit, you need to have faith that he is going to
come in and do the supernatural. As you give yourself grace and allow God to give you strength, you have to open yourself up and allow others to help you. We have to give up control of being everything and doing everything all on our own. We need to give others an opportunity to shine. It’s not about us having fame and glory.

God wants us to do our best and please him, but it’s OK if we don’t do everything
perfectly. It’s OK if we have to scratch things and move them to the next day. It’s OK if we have
to ask for help. It’s OK if we have to go to our Lord in prayer and ask him for help and strength.
We were designed to be imperfect. We weren’t designed to be able to do it all.

In the end, you will go after your big goals and dreams. God placed those on your heart,
and it’s OK that you’re not perfect. You won’t reach them on your own. It’s OK if you need help
along the way. It’s OK if you’ve got a little tilt and wobble in your plans—just like that old
fishing pier:

Let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1–2 NIV)