Well, It’s Hot Outside, So………..

READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

THIS MATERIAL IS INTENDED FOR MATURE FEMALE AUDIENCES ONLY.

She said, “Seriously! Come as you are”. The spontaneous invite for supper and drinks on the deck was hard to turn down.

The preacher on any given Sunday even says it. “Just come as you are.” But he’s standing on the stage in his suit while the lady sitting behind me still has a hint of last night’s drinks hovering around her like Pig-Pen from Charlie Brown’s gang.

When was the last time? The last time I just allowed myself to show up. Not worried about what clothes I have on. Not consumed with bringing the best appetizer. Not frantically running around to clean one more thing before they ring the doorbell. When was the last time?

Truth be told, most people prefer the authentic version of us. That’s what they’re looking for. That’s who they want to talk to. The young mom who’s struggling? She doesn’t want to hear how “put together” you were. She wants to know that you also didn’t shower for three days; relying on baby powder and deodorant to cover the evidence. Your friend might scream if she hears that you again brought an extra dessert “just because”. I don’t need to call out or list all of my personal examples. You have your own and that’s okay.

Now I’m also not saying we need to be careless or allow complacency to creep in. God doesn’t call us to that either. What I am saying is…………………Just show up!! That’s the most important thing. Just show up. Be present. Bring who you are today.

Do you know why much of the world thinks Christians are hypocrites? Because that lady sitting behind me in church also stood behind one of us in the checkout at the store and heard how we treated the cashier.

The closer we come to knowing God, the more aware we should be of our brokenness. The more aware we are of our brokenness, the more we should want to come as we are. Be real. No pretense. Admit our sin. Acknowledge our lack. Let God use us as we are so that others believe He can do the same for them.

I can actually tell you the answer to that question I posed. It was this past Monday night. Like so many of you, I’ve spent years of my life attempting to present a picture of something that was often impossible to maintain. It’s exhausting. But Monday night I had a breakthrough.

I was hosting a small meeting that included some of the most incredible women I’m blessed to know. As they each arrived, we congregated on my barn porch. The weather this week has featured the extreme Indiana summer heat. But the porch was shaded and boasted a welcome breeze. So, as we prepared to sit, I made the following announcement. “Ladies, I’m just gonna be honest and tell you that it’s hot and I don’t have a bra on.” Needless to say, a variety of responses came forth along with several bouts of loud laughing.

Although I understand that this is a very silly example of what I’m trying to convey in this overall message, I believe it might stick. Just show up. Just be real. Just be vulnerable. We’re not out here impressing anyone. I’m pretty sure I’ve finally figured that out.