The truth about fine

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We live in a world in constant stride for perfection. If you look at people from the outside most times, their lives look well arranged. There’s this dire need to make others think that we’ve got it all together and life is all good 24/7. Being honest though we all know that’s not true. But somehow, when we look from the outside we allow ourselves to believe that maybe they really do have a perfect life. And it becomes our goal to obtain that too. If you’re like me and have ever struggled with this, you know the attempt to obtain a life that goes according to plan rarely ever works and almost always leaves us unfulfilled and scrolling through Instagram, asking ourselves what we’re doing wrong. It’s a never-ending cycle of unfulfillment. I think a lot of that comes from social media but can definitely happen in our day to day interactions too.

Anyway, often in the pursuit of trying to appear like we’ve got it all together, we can forget that it’s so ok to ask for help and to admit that you are nowhere near perfection. That’s vulnerable though. Putting yourself out there and admitting that life doesn’t fit into an organized box means you open yourself up to judgement from anyone still hiding behind an idea of perfection. And so in this process, we so often tell ourselves that we’re fine. A saying that’s an occurring member of my vocabulary is “it’s fine, I’m fine.” Usually I’m laughing about something and use it as a joke, but I find deep down, that’s a truer realization behind those words.

I never even realized how hurtful these words were to me until a camp counselor opened up about how she too had lived in these untrue words. She told my cabin and I about a time when she had gone hiking to a waterfall with her friends. The rocks were super slippery and as she was climbing she fell and as she was falling she was yelling “I’m fine, I’m fine.” We all laughed at our sweet counselor’s story as she continued. She told us about how through that experience she realized, that we really aren’t fine and that it’s ok to admit it. We’re all pretty messy. We sin, and have regrets. But we serve a God who knows we aren’t fine, and loves us anyway. He takes that brokenness, and makes us whole.

This all really hit home with me as I realized, that I too had lived in the words I’m fine. Because y’all let’s be honest, as people we are so far from fine. We’re messy, and full of emotions. And you know what’s really cool, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. The bad part is hiding in lies of perfection. It’s ok to step up and admit that life can be hard. We hurt and our lives are certainly not always Instagram perfect. Sometimes we cry, or yell, or feel angry, or upset. God knows you aren’t fine. It’s the whole reason, he died for us. He knew we were sinners. But you know what he still loved us. So much so that he gave his life.

PSA: you were not created to be perfect. You weren’t created to be fine. You were created to love and to lead a life that points toward God. I bought a sticker to put on my laptop that reads “it’s fine, I’m fine.” Every time I see it, I get a good laugh thinking about my sweet counselor, and a good reminder at how not fine I really am. The world will tell you to appear perfect and it’s so easy to get caught up in that. We want to appear as though we have perfect vacations, and clothes, and friends but in reality, that’s not true. Things can be good and maybe even great but they aren’t perfect and neither are you. And you know what – that’s ok.

So I challenge myself and anyone else who’s ever put worth behind appealing to a certain image, to step away from the worldly desires. It’s not easy and it can be so tempting to fall into the lies of perfection. But if you really think about it, has it ever caused you any real happiness? Instead try admitting to yourself that you’re not fine and that you need God. Because he’s there, and he wants to be in a relationship with you. Life certainly isn’t perfect, but our God is. And wants to hold your hand and walk through life with you. Will you let him?

All the love, Annie