As a child, I loved to play “make believe” or “let’s pretend.” Perhaps this knack for playing different parts was the reason I landed roles in several musicals as a child.
I liked to act. I liked to pretend to be older than I was. As a child I loved to mimick the “grown-ups” I watched on t.v. shows. I also enjoyed pretending to be on Carmen Sandiego (I would use one of our tall floor lamps as the place marker…watch the last 5 minutes of the video below to understand what I mean).
Looking back, I am acutely aware of how this knack of acting infiltrated my actual life as I got older.
There were times that I pretended to be someone in hopes that others would like me, accept me, love me.
I pretended to know the latest music when secretly all I listened to was whatever CDs my brother Jay would get.
I pretended to watch Seinfeld. I couldn’t even tell you about one episode if my life depended on it.
I pretended to know a lot more about boys than I really did. I was naive as hell.
I pretended that God wasn’t a big deal to me because it seemed like most of the people I knew were non-believers when really He was the biggest deal in my life. He still is.
I pretended to like to drink alcohol when in reality other than a hand full of times and with certain exceptions, it made me sick, feel crappy, and I didn’t like the taste. I’d like to personally thank amaretto for ending my relationship with alcohol. (I’m allergic to nuts. Amaretto is made out of nuts. Unknowingly drinking it in a foreign country almost killed me.) Give me a glass of chocolate milk over a glass of wine any day.
I pretended more often than I’d like to admit because I was secretly afraid of being who I really was and sharing with others who I really am. Can you relate or am I alone on this one?
…and then I met Jesus and was overwhelmed by His Dangerous Love. I’m still getting to know Him and frankly, it’s awe-inspiring, game changing, and life transforming.
I pretended because I wanted to be loved but the problem is, as long as I was pretending to be someone I was not, I would never truly be loved for who I really am. To be loved, I had to give up on pretending. I had to take off the masks. I had to take off the lies. I had to be willing to share the real me.
Facts.
Not everyone will like you.
The most flawless thing we can do is readily admit just how flawed we are.
We are all a work in progress. Don’t let the image of others fool you. We are all dealing with something or someone.
The Good News.
You are loved just as you are, imperfections, faults, flaws, and all.
“Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do things that no one can imagine.”-Joan Clarke, “The Imitation Game”
“God always uses misfit people to do extraordinary things.”-T.D. Jakes
So dear friend, embrace your imperfections, embrace your flaws, and embrace the mistakes. Let’s take the masks off and leave the acting for Hollywood. Because the truth is, there is a lie in live but there is no live in lie.
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- Dear Beautiful Soul… - March 28, 2018
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