Living with "flaws"...

“Jealousy is the cousin of greed. It makes us focus on what we want and lose sight of what we need.” -Unknown

While working on a new project, I came across this gem of a quote. So very true. Sometimes what we want is other people’s possessions but there are also times it’s their talents or looks that we desire. God made you and he made me exactly the way we are for a reason. I get it, it’s hard to appreciate the parts that we deem “flaws”. Trust me I understand.

I live in Arkansas, a state that is sometimes stereotyped as being backwoods and hillbilly. Barefoot pregnant women on the front porch, moonshiners in the hills, messed up teeth, straw hats, banjos, and heehaw y'alls. Hopefully, that painted a decent picture.

I also have something dentist describe as "peg laterals", basically abnormally small pointy front teeth.

After my braces were removed, the dentist gave me a retainer to wear that had two "normal" looking teeth on it. I wore it all the time. While I was wearing it, I'd hold back my smile because I didn't like smiling with metal in my mouth. On the occasion that I didn't have it on, I held back my smile because I thought I looked weird with these tiny teeth.

I remember going to a special revival service at my parent's church and there was someone talking about receiving healing. They wore glasses and they believed that God wanted to heal their eyes. They smashed their glasses and God healed them! (They did add a disclaimer that God didn't heal everyone the same way so unless God was telling you to smash your glasses it probably wasn't a good idea.)

Well, I remember going up and asking for prayer. I really wanted my teeth to be normal. I really wanted to smile without being self-conscious of what others might think. Nothing miraculous happened during that service. I went home and I still believed God could heal me. That day I decided to throw the retainer away (sorry Mom and Dad). I was going to stand on the fact that God was going to heal me. And he did! Just not the way I thought he was going to. Instead of giving me the healing that I wanted, He gave me the healing that I needed. Instead of growing my teeth, He grew my confidence. 

I still have moments that I get self-conscious about my smile but it's typically around people I don't know very well or just met. In those moment, the Holy Spirit is prompt to remind me how much my husband and children love my smile. 

This seems like a silly topic to write about. In fact, this is the first time I have shared this story with anyone. But if it helps you to appreciate the "flaws" that you have then praise God!

God, sometimes there are "flaws" that occur in our lives that have to be removed medically or miraculously because they are hazardous to our health. But sometimes there are "flaws" that aren't really flaws, we just label them that because these flaws make us look different from everyone else. Lord, with all that in mind, help us to pray your will and stand on it. God, I believed that you would heal me by growing my teeth but you saw the greater need in my heart. Thank you for knowing so much more than I know. Help me to seek You when praying for others needs. Help me to seek You and believe that You know ALL I need. Amen.