What’s In a Name Part 2 - Squiggly Lines

I promise to try to keep these shorter. However, wordy is just who I am, and so are squiggly lines.

I was highlighting a textbook and stopped to just stare at the lines. They were sooooo squiggly! It looked like an absolute mess! I thought back and wondered if I was sick on straight-line day in preschool or something. Then God showed me something in those lines.

These lines would drive some people nuts. It looked messy. It looked like I didn’t have my life together. They weren’t perfect by any means. BUT, God showed me that the things I see as a little off are uniquely me. He reminded me not to take my imperfections so seriously. He will continue to straighten the lines that need it and not for the ones that He made uniquely me.

Let me introduce you to the beast that is my daughter’s hair. It takes lots of work to care for. She recently wanted to start straightening it. At the beginning of the process, it looks like the blow dryer will straighten it out quite a bit. Once we get it dry, it’s not straight at all. As you can see, it’s quite poofy. This is the point in the process that I can’t get the smile off my face. I ADORE that poof!! I always say, “There it is,” and I grin so big. That frizzy, ratty, poof belongs to no one else. It’s uniquely her.

Here is the finished straight, shiny hair. So many have this look, but no one has her poof. The things we try to straighten and shine are the things that make us uniquely, us. That frizzy mess is how God made her. No one in our family has that. It’s God-given. Those things we think are imperfections or so different from everyone else are actually what make us who we are. No one can make the lines squiggle like I can because it’s uniquely me. It’s God-given.

You are probably thinking that’s a big stretch, but does anyone else have my hands and fingers? Can anyone else make lines squiggle like me? It’s such a simple thing, but He used them to remind me that it’s ok to be who He is making me into. I have so far to go. I spent the last three weeks feeling like I was the biggest jerk and failure. I felt like I offended everyone I talked to. I felt like I couldn’t do anything right. I have so far to go, but so does everyone. You don’t have to hide your beautiful mess. God made me who I am and He made you who you are. Embrace your squiggly lines.

So, Welcome to Loose Particles and Squiggly Lines! The place where life is real, raw, messy, yet amazingly beautiful because we are wrapped in God’s love.

This last picture.....I looked in the mirror today and couldn’t believe the mess. Then I saw one part of my hair floating up in a squiggly line. You all know what happened next.....

#looseparticlesandsquigglylines