You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Heard

“I have to be polished and perfect to post.”

Sound familiar?

Come as you are.

At my church growing up, that phrase should have meant just that. But really, it meant: “Don’t show up for God in anything less than your best.” Best hair. Best outfit. Best smile. Best behavior.

One Sunday, I didn’t have any of that.

I was visiting a friend and all I had was a sweatsuit—purple, blue, and white geometric patterns loud as my insecurity. Her family waited for her dad to pull the car around. Everyone wore black and white. I was the odd one out. I feared what the mothers would say. I feared what my mother would say once she found out. I hadn’t planned on attending church on the extended weekend.

Guess what?

Her mom didn’t say a word.

No side-eyes from the pews.

No whispered judgment from parishioners.

No one lingered on my outfit longer than a glance.

No one but God saw me—and God welcomed me anyway.

Now let’s talk about showing up.

Why is it that a Higher Power can take us in our messiest, most undone form, but we hesitate to post, present, or put ourselves out there because we’re not wearing lashes, don’t have a filter, or didn’t rehearse a reel?

We second-guess our creativity.

We hold back our stories.

We sit on content that could help someone… all because we don’t look “camera ready.”

But does the way we show up really diminish our story? Does a designer outfit validate your heartbreak? Do trending audios make your healing more real?

Come as YOU are.

Come as you ARE.

Find a space. Find your truth. Tell it to the ones who came to hear it.

Do you know how to show up as your authentic self?