People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

I made it to step class at the gym on Monday and about half way through I thought I might die. Seems drop squats and side lunges aren’t as easy as they look when your carrying a whole lot of extra kilos. So I feel heavy and awkward and slow but I guess thats why I’m there. And I could be so mad at myself about it all. My gym clothes are old and baggy because they are what fit at the moment and I’m going for maximum coverage. My gym shoes are worn because we’ve done many a sweaty and teary workout together but they’ve been gathering dust of late. So I get there self conscious and a bit embarrassed at my lack of lycra and all those mirrors. I get there even though I want to be at home and hidden and doing something I like to do. But I know that in the end what’s gonna make the difference isn’t the staying at home, it isn’t the getting mad at myself and it isn’t whether I look the part or even feel the part.

What will make the difference is the showing up and doing the workout. That’s it. And then showing up again even with my old gym clothes and with my hair all over and the hole showing in my shoe.

We show up and we give our selves a fighting chance.

You may feel like your the one showing up at times not looking or feeling the part, the one slow and stiff and three steps behind everyone else, limping along not even sure your gonna make it to the end. The one ready to cry into your towel at any moment and so mad with yourself that you haven’t got it all together yet, mad that you’ve made mistakes and ate too much cake and chose fear too often instead of brave.

And you might be fooled into thinking that these are the things that count, that these are the things that matter to God,

but they aren’t

because your doing the thing that matters.

Your showing up.

And what I see (and read) is all of you amazing ladies (and some gents) showing up.  In your church, in your families, in your workplaces, in His presence, holding on, trusting, hoping, believing, nerves raw sometimes yet hearts open, doing the next thing you need to do even when it’s hard and heart breaking. I see you serving and being Jesus to people, loving your children, choosing brave more often than fear, finding joy, doing so much more than what you see.

Yet we fret because we haven’t arrived.

but we needn’t

because Christ has arrived,

“the God in the manger who makes Himself bread for us near starved. – – – -the Savior in swaddling’s who makes Himself the robe of righteousness for us worn out” Ann Voskamp

Christ came

For the ones who dare to show up weak and heavy laden.

For the ones who dare to show up bowed down.

For the ones who dare to say yes to Him just as they are.

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Mark 5:27 & 28

We show up to give ourselves a chance. We show up in anticipation of what God can do, we put one foot in front of the other, we hope in His goodness, we wait in His presence and we look for the water to turn into wine.

When we show up – – – Hope gets the last word.

Love to you all today

Tracey xx

And because it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas you might like to read  these recent Women Connect posts Christ Our Peace and A Prayer to Prepare Us

 Linking up today with

Three Word Wednesday, Coffee For Your Heart, Tell His Story, Fridays Blog Booster Party, Celebrate Your Story