Learning to Let Go of Perfect
A reflection on grace, balance, and being accepted just as I am

The weather today was fabulous—one of those first spring-like days that makes you believe winter might finally be letting go. I’m so ready for warmer days, for sunshine and soft breezes, for porch sitting and long walks with Maci.

But more than that, I’m learning to be ready for something else: balance.

I’ve been trying to listen to the wisdom of the people who care about me—my husband, my boss, my doctor. They’ve all gently encouraged me to find more equilibrium between work, home, and rest. And lately, I’ve been trying to take their advice seriously.

Because of that, I’m starting to feel better.
It’s a quiet shift, but it matters.

This morning, I woke up and didn’t feel like I needed to stumble straight to the recliner just to recover from the week. I had energy. I had margin. I had space.

Even though today felt easy and low-key, I was still able to accomplish quite a few things. The difference, I think, is this: I’m not operating from a place of exhaustion. And I’m slowly learning to put less pressure on myself to be perfect.

This week, one of our interns said something that went straight to my heart.
She said, “Anything worth doing is worth doing imperfectly.”

At first, I’ll admit—I bristled.

Wait, what?
My inner perfectionist immediately stood at attention.
Shouldn’t we strive to do everything with excellence? Shouldn’t we aim to get it all right?

But as I listened to this wise and thoughtful new counselor, I realized she wasn’t advocating for carelessness. She was inviting us into grace.

And more than that—she was right.
I needed to live what I teach.

How much pressure have I been placing on myself to be perfect?
To get everything exactly right—to have the right words, the right timing, the right outcome?
And what has that pressure cost me?

The truth is, I’m not perfect. I never will be.
Nothing I do—no matter how sincere, how diligent, or how well-intentioned—will ever be flawless.

And that’s exactly why Christ came.

I couldn’t make myself perfect.
I couldn’t earn my way to righteousness.
So Jesus came to do for me what I could never do for myself.

The only good thing I can claim is His righteousness.
The only glory I carry is bound up in the cross.

So why—why—am I wasting precious energy trying to be something I was never created to be?

I am accepted.
Not because I get it all right.
Not because I’ve figured out balance or boundaries or rhythms perfectly.
But because I come to Him just as I am.

“I come broken to be mended.
I come wounded to be healed.
I come desperate to be rescued.
I come empty to be filled.
I come guilty to be pardoned
by the blood of Christ the Lamb…
and I’m welcomed with open arms—
praise God, just as I am.”

That truth changes everything.
It quiets the striving.
It softens the shame.
It lets me rest.

So today, I’m choosing to embrace what is good enough instead of chasing what is impossible.
I’m choosing to live in the reality of grace, not the illusion of perfection.
And I’m remembering that even imperfect efforts—when offered in love—are worthy.

Maybe you need that reminder too.

Friend, if you’re tired, if you’re bracing under the weight of getting it all right—
You can let go.

You are deeply loved.
Welcomed with open arms.
And accepted… just as you are.