I will never be perfect.

As some of you may know, I am a bit of a perfectionist. Just a bit. Or maybe a whole lot, and it affects everything I do. You know.

Being a good person? Snapped at someone. Failure. That dinner I made? Scorched the bottom in one corner. Failure. That artsy thing I did (scrapbook, painting, sewing, journal-making...)? A piece is out of place and I can't fix it. Failure. Singing? Missed a note in the song. Failure. My grades? Got a B. Failure. My youth group? Not everyone likes every activity I plan. Failure.

Yeah, yeah, so I'm kind of hard on myself sometimes. Harder on myself than anyone else is, that's for sure.

Well, for my January term class on youth ministry I had to read this book, Sustainable Youth Ministry. It was a good book. I liked what I learned from it and am really excited to start implementing some of it. But it occurred to me as I was reading and planning things out and thinking how awesome everything will be from now on that this isn't going to fix everything. It's still not going to be perfect. And you know what? It never will be. Nothing about me, nothing I do ever will.

I will never respond rightly in every situation. I will never be able to make a perfect meal every time. I will never be an arts genius or a voice prodigy. I will never have a flawless 4.0 for my entire educational career. I will never be the ultimate youth minister with the ultimate youth ministry.

While this makes part of me want to cry, this makes the rest of me feel a lot better. I don't know how many of you struggle with this, but hopefully it will make you feel better, too. Take a deep breath and tell yourself right now: "I will never be perfect at everything, and it will be ok." It's kind of freeing, isn't it? It's OK when I mess up. The world goes on. I learn. Everything's gonna be alright.