Hanging Up My Cape

   Superheroes.. from a little boys action figure collection to the big screen to the comic floating on Pinterest about mommas conquering it all.. they're every where. Even NFL football players flash the superman pose after a touchdown but what exactly are we saying with these gestures.  Batman, Superman and the Avengers.. they work fine for movies and little kids imaginations but what are we telling ourselves and others when we bring the superhero mentality to our daily lives?

   I'm not called to be a superhero.  Sure, it can be fun to dress up for a party or play pretend with a small child but there is a growing trend in our society screaming at us.. we can be superheroes.  We can have it all and do it all and be it all. This just doesn't work; eventually after I've chased the superhero mentality long enough the super wears off and all I am left with is myself.  Suddenly what I am left with doesn't seem like enough; I feel weak and insecure.

   I don't want to feel inadequate when I am just being me.  I don't want to feel bad when I have a tough day and the checklist goes unchecked.  Life is already tough enough so why make it harder by chasing an image of perfection.  I used to think that in order to get where I wanted to be in life I had to achieve a certain standard.  If I wanted to lead a women's small group I would have to read the Bible three times, become a worship leader and go five years without a sin.  Then.. then I would be ready for God to use me.  I used to carry my past around in my back pocket as if I needed a constant reminder of who I really was and  where I had been, the mistakes I had made and the potential that I didn't have.  Oh just how wrong I was.

   You see.. when it comes down to it God didn't call me to be perfect. He is perfect and perfection doesn't exist in this world outside of His Presence.  I am a sinner with a broken past and a future of more trials and tests.  I am going to make mistakes and fail again and again but I can find peace knowing that I am not called to be a superwoman but a woman who fears the Lord.  I am a woman, a daughter, sister, wife and one day a mother.  I don't have to strive for perfection.  I am asked only to love and share His love with others.
 
   I can rest in this; finding peace that I am beautiful and every morning is a new start.   I am called to live for Christ and walk in simple acts of obedience to Him.  When I am walking in this I am walking in my calling.  So whether i'm in class, at my workplace, standing over dishes at home or dropping kids off at practice I already have it all because He gave it all for me.

   We need to be careful of our superhero, juggling it all image.  We're not supposed to do it all.  We're doing just fine fulfilling our roles in day to day life, letting Him fill the gaps.  He doesn't want us to portray a perfect image to others but He wants to use those weak areas that we want to hide for His greater good showing those around us that we're struggling too but we're walking with God and we've found it all in Him.