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Ummmm You're Short!

Now THAT'S a cute pair of shoes!!!



It was a day of celebration and I couldn't wait to get to the party!  I slipped on a pair of my favorite shoes, took one final glance in the mirror, hopped in the car and headed on out.  Stepping upon the pavement, I took one leap and my shoe broke!  Horrified I looked down and quickly realized I was now 4 inches closer to the ground. 

Now, you have to understand - I'm a few inches too tall to be cute and petite and many inches from being anything else.  I'm...well...short.  I know, I know, I can't really change my package but it bugs me.  Really...it does.  So, I came up with a solution - cute heels.  It's the best of both worlds.  I get to rock a pair of fabulous shoes AND appear taller. =)

Back to my story, quite rattled by this wardrobe malfunction I wanted to run home.  Silly I know. After taking a few minutes to compose myself... I made the choice to walk into the room with my head held high, a beaming smile and barefoot (thank goodness my toes were adorned with sparkly polish).  It was a party...for someone I loved... and I wasn't going to miss it for anything.  Outwardly, I kept calm, and laughed it off each time someone made a point to let me know I had NO SHOES!  Inwardly, I wanted to scream and  thoughts of smacking the next person that felt the need to discuss my feet were entertained.  Enough was enough - so I just let it be known that my shoe had indeed broken, AND yes, I was in fact BAREFOOT.  *Gasp*

You know... I'm short... it's just a fact.  I can try to pretend I'm something I'm not but in the end my secrets will always be found out. 

I think sometimes we need to just get a grip and be real. 


Perhaps you're not vertically challenged.  However, I'm sure you struggle in other areas.  Maybe your biggest struggle comes on Sunday morning sitting underneath a steeple of perfection.  While teaching/speaking others have told me over and over "I just want to stop playing the game.  Everyone in church seems SO perfect.  I'm not. But I feel like I have to pretend... to be accepted and not judged."  Have you been there?  I have.  Plastic people.  Hurting people drowning behind a smile.  This is too often what happens in the church today.  Don't we need to do better?   I guess, all that really matters is that our outward conduct is in order...we gush Christian rhetoric...we know the right verse to write in every card and email and we use eloquent waxing of words to pray.  After all, we get the perk of looking down our nose in superiority...at least we are not THAT Christian.  We are a master of blending in and we've fooled them all...maybe even ourselves.  Only one problem.  God knows.  Our hearts still stink before him.  So when are we going to stop trying to impress others with our Christianity and just be real?  When you are convicted about an area in your life then tell God, cooperate with the Holy Spirit to change but lets stop acting like something we're not.  None of us are perfect.  If we were we would have no need of His grace.

Until then...
Jessie

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