Character Confession: What Imperfect Progress Looks Like On Me
This summer I’ve been working through Lysa TerKeurst’s latest book, Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions. She has one term that is the goal for readers, imperfect progress. I used to be a very angry, wounded person, and unglued was my heart. Although God’s healed me from so much, imperfect progress sums up a lot.
It’s been awhile since I’ve shared anything surrender themed, so I thought I’d take today to confess and celebrate my imperfect progress.
Feelings…
In Unglued Lysa writes about exploding reactions and stuffing reactions. For the most part, I’m a stuffer. It took absolute rejection and heartbreak from more than one situation to help me communicate more. My marriage is so much better for that. I think what’s key is if the other person is as willing to receive as I am to share. Any relationship that isn’t where it used to be most likely is because I don’t believe the other person is willing to openly communicate and receive my honest feelings, even in a loving way.
Health…
Last year I was in my first of three casts, and even those casts in the end didn’t heal my broken wrist. This summer I’m free from casts, braces, therapy, and for the most part, the grief I carried from the incident and reality I’ll never be the same. When I feel an ache or struggle opening a child proof bottle I have to choose to find the positive. Last year I wasn’t sure I could write/type, and that’s the call on my life. This year I’m typing two-handed, no problems.
In that healing time, my exercise life flatlined. Because of that and emotional eating, I gained a lot of the weight back I lost two years ago. I’ve had imperfect progress with my mind, taking each thought about my body back to Christ. I don’t have to stay in that place, and I’m more about healthier choices than a number on the scale. The celebration is I’m almost done with the C25K app, and I didn’t hate it. I pulled way back on junk eating and am trying to be intentional to listen to true hunger and only eat then.
Parenting…
I feel like our family is in a new phase. Our youngest no longer has a little girl face, and she’s asking tween questions. Our son is receiving mail from colleges. His countdown to drive is in months, not years. I realized there is a lot more fear in this season than I imagined. I can’t control a lot of their lives, not in the early days when it was about redirecting their attention or picking them up for danger. Unglued? Yep. I have to trust God in all He gave me to raise them, and the promises over them. They are children of peace. Overcomers. Game-changers. And my prayer is they be invisible to the enemy.
Ministry…
This encompasses so much more than going to church and helping out here and there. My life is a ministry, and most of it is writing and speaking. I’ve relaxed a lot wondering what this is all supposed to look like and when, and God is in it. I’m extremely reluctant to allow anyone try to tell me what it should be, and I absolutely come unglued when I feel forced or manipulated. It’s in this category I think the depth of my introvertedness comes out. High maintenance people drain me. I give everything of me when I minister. My heart beats to see people live free in Christ, and that comes at a price. Rest, maintaining boundaries, these are vital for me.
Imperfect progress. Not just my goal, but I think a lifestyle.
How about you?
