Yelling at my son.
That’s what I was doing while rolling out the dough to make the communion bread for our church’s Lord’s Supper.
Not my finest moment.
The next morning I lay that small, baked square on my Bible for a little longer than usual. Imperfect bread, made with imperfect hands, representing the most perfect gift ever given.
The idea of imperfection has been on my mind a lot lately. So many things we do imperfectly. As our students counted down the last few seconds of the school year, my mind went to all the less than stellar moments of this past year–the things I wish we could have done better or wonder if we should have done differently. There is so much more I wish we could do for these students and their families. There have also been things we have done this school year that have left me on my knees asking, “God, did we do that right?”
Our drama class performing “Sherlock Holmes.” 
Our drama class performing “Sherlock Holmes.” 
Our drama class performing “Sherlock Holmes.” 
Our drama class performing “Sherlock Holmes.” 
Our drama class performing “Sherlock Holmes.” 
Our drama class performing “Sherlock Holmes.” 
Our drama class performing “Sherlock Holmes.”
It weighs on me–all of the things I do imperfectly.
It should, right? We have been called to live for, serve and glorify a Holy and Incredible God. Shouldn’t our works meet that bar?
Celebrating our Missionary moms with a Mother Son Survivor Challenge! 
Celebrating our Missionary moms with a Mother Son Survivor Challenge! 
Celebrating our Missionary moms with a Mother Son Survivor Challenge! 
Celebrating our Missionary moms with a Mother Son Survivor Challenge! 
Celebrating our Missionary moms with a Mother Son Survivor Challenge! 
Celebrating our Missionary moms with a Mother Son Survivor Challenge!
As I sat in church that Sunday many weeks ago, analyzing that little imperfectly baked piece of bread in front of me, the realization suddenly washed over me: there isn’t a better memorial to remember the sacrifice of our Savior.
Yes, we are imperfect.
But that’s the point, isn’t it?
God knows all about our less than great moments. He also knows all the ways we fall short, not just in our righteousness, but also in our ability, in our wisdom, and even sometimes in our desire to do what He is asking us to do.
The whole reason we need a perfect Savior is because we can’t do it perfectly.
But here’s the great part…God doesn’t expect us to.
The cracker we take in “Remembrance of me” is made into something wonderful and holy, not by how well I cut out the little squares, but instead by the body of the Savior it represents. Our works each day accomplish God’s will, not by our perfect execution of them, but instead by His perfect and holy presence within us that comes alongside our willingness and does incredible things!
This year has definitely not been perfect by human standards. It has, however, been perfectly used by God. I know He is working in each and every person at our school as well as in and through each and every situation we have faced.
He reminded me of this during our graduation ceremony.
Graduation is always super special at our school. I am so proud of our four seniors, missionary kids born in Germany, Brazil and Peru. But I think one of my proudest moments was watching our Student Council president, a junior, stand up and deliver her speech.
As she challenged the seniors to continue in their faith and spread joy over the group with her contagious smile, my mind went back to the first time she walked into our school. Recently relocated to Pucallpa with her family, she kept quiet, not answering the questions I asked her. For months my bilingual little student stared up at me with large eyes not answering questions, but poco a poco, little-by-little I watched this amazing girl persevere and open up. Over her nine years at SAM Academy, she has grown into a young lady that brightens every room she walks into. You can’t be around this girl without cracking a smile! That bright young girl stood at the podium graduation night exuding a maturity and joy that I never would have imagined in that timid, big-eyed girl who stepped into my classroom nine years ago.
And that’s my “Why.”
I won’t dare to claim the change in this student is entirely because of our school, but how thankful I am to get the opportunity to “imperfectly” walk alongside these amazing kids and have even just the smallest part in pointing them towards the One who is changing them and pouring into them.
As we close out this school year, I thank God for His faithfulness in using us, even just a little, in the lives of these students and their families. We won’t get it all right, but I pray that God allows us to keep showing up and trying, and that each year He continues working in our hearts and lives so that we do this a little better each time.
I want to encourage you today as well–whatever it is that maybe you are struggling to do or are unsure if you are capable of doing, know that God isn’t asking for you to do it perfectly. He’s just asking you to step out in imperfectness allowing Him to square off the rough edges of what you offer and use what you give to His glory.
Family of 4 Serving 1 