The Ideal, The Real, and Grace

Picture by Robert T. Barrett
used by permission from churchofjesuschrist.org

 I've been reading a book called Just Open the Door by Jen Schmidt and I had a moment of clarity as I read her stories of sharing God's love through hospitality.  She spoke of giving hospitality when they were broke, and life was hard.  She spoke of inviting young Mom's to "come as you are" and sharing with each other the struggles and successes of being mothers of young children.  She shared her stories of being real.  She says:

"...sharing our mess unwraps the hidden gem of our message.  When we tear down walls and acknowledge our need for grace in our hard moments, His [Jesus'] name is elevated....Sharing our stories can point to Him.

We are taught the ideal so that we know what to reach for, but everyone lives in the real.  We can't expect of ourselves or others that we will be the ideal person.  And we don't need to look like the ideal person either.  Jesus came not because we can reach ideal on our own, but because we can't.  He came to help us through our lives.  Our real lives.  To give us grace, and to lead us through the truth that His word gives.  If we share our real, we can also share how Jesus came to us with grace -- or we can ask others how they have endured until they could see His grace.  Being our real selves gives us the opportunity to bring our Savior into the conversation.  He is the Ideal that we are reaching for,  and He loves us as we are.  He loves the real us and gives us grace.