There are days when my heart longs to stand out in this world — not for recognition or applause, but as an image bearer of Christ. I want my words, actions, and demeanor to reflect His grace, His kindness, and His steadfast love. I want people to catch a glimpse of Jesus when they cross my path.

But if I’m being honest, there are also days when I completely miss the mark.
Days when impatience edges out grace.
Days when my tongue moves faster than my heart.
Days when I try to fix things in my own strength and end up creating more chaos than calm.

And in the process, I sometimes hurt people. I never mean to, but I do. My flaws scrape against their wounds, and my missteps leave marks I wish I could erase. It’s a crushing feeling when the ones I care about see only my stumble — when my falter becomes the lens through which they identify me, as if I’m no different than the rest of the world I long to reflect Christ to.

It’s humbling — sometimes painfully so — to realize how far I can drift from the very reflection I hope to display. Yet even here, in the rubble of my good intentions and flawed follow-through, God whispers a truth I need to remember: He is not finished with me yet.

I’m learning that God doesn’t discard the parts of my story that are messy. He redeems them. He takes the missteps, the misunderstandings, the moments when I wound instead of heal — and somehow, in His mercy, He uses them.

Maybe that’s what grace really looks like — not perfection, but participation.
Not pretending we have it all together, but surrendering the places where we don’t.

So I pray:

Lord, when I miss the mark, meet me there.
Take my blunders and build something beautiful.
Take my chaos and create order.
Take the moments I get it wrong and use them to point others to the One who is always right.

If I can stand out in this world for anything, may it be for a life that keeps returning to the feet of Jesus — again and again — trusting that even in my weakness, His reflection still shines through.