the gift of a weakness

I thought I might explain my screen name, La Perfectionista.

Now, for those of you who speak Spanish, I KNOW I DIDN'T SPELL IT RIGHT!  (Proper Spanish spelling is La Perfeccionista.) But I misspelled it on purpose.  Because you see, by nature, I am a perfectionist, and it's very hard for me to abandon that tendency.

I would have to say that being a perfectionist is both my biggest strength and my biggest weakness.  In my design work, it's beneficial, most of the time.  At home, it's mostly hindering.

It's a funny thing, perfection.  It can manifest itself in a lot of ways.  The way it looks in me is either spic-n-span or a complete disaster.  There's just no in between.  Most of the time I approach tasks with an idea of how I could get it perfectly done.  It usually includes a certain amount of time needed to complete the task to meet my perfectionist standards. Ha! With a hubby and 2 little ones, that is just flat out unrealistic.  So, when I can't have the "perfect" amount of time to do my tasks just right, I just don't even attempt it until it's absolutely necessary.  So my perfectionism leads to procrastination... 

You can see how this perfectionist thing can be a bit unsettling.

Fortunately, God is WAY bigger than my weaknesses!  In fact, it's where He thrives, if I'll let Him. I came across a scripture recently that released some of this unneeded pressure I put on myself. I repeat it to myself often.  It's 2 Corinthians 12:9.  "For he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me."

Whew! What a relief to know that I can be honest about my weaknesses and that something good can come out of them!  Now, when things appear to be in "perfect" working order, God gets the glory.