take me as i am

Darren and I are small group leaders at the Fortress Youth Development Center on Sunday afternoons. We participate in a high-energy praise and worship time with the kids, then break into small groups to discuss biblical principles on a teenaged, inner-city level. Before breaking into groups, one of the youth ministers always leads us in a big group activity.

Last Sunday, he told the leaders to come forward and sit in the chairs. Then he gave our small groups a pile of STUFF: hair gel, blue eye shadows, red and hot pink lipsticks... and told them to give us all an extreme makeover, and that the team with the best made-over leader would win a prize. You should've heard the squeals of delight when the kids heard that. They attacked us with much zeal and gusto, and this was the end result:

Personally, I think the Darth Maul-look that Jake's team gave HIM should've won, but the judges gave the prize to Darren's team.
It took 2 shampoos to get all the slimy gel out of my hair. You can't tell from the picture, but there were two huge GOBS of it plastered on the back of my head. Naaaaaasty. Darren, Jake and Boy George Michael were good sports and kept their makeup on for the full hour, but they all three hit the bathroom and scrubbed with cold water and paper towels the very second it was over. Crack. Me. UP! The purpose of it all was to open up this topic: does God accept you as you are? Does He want you to be all made up and with your best face on when you come before Him? Will He acknowledge you if you look like Darth Maul on the outside? What if you look good on the outside, but you're skanky on the inside? Does He care? Will He reject you?
What things do you try to "make over" when you remember to acknowledge God? What things to do you try to hide?

It opened up a very frank talk with my 4 girls. They're wise in so many ways. I mean, they're STREETwise, that's certain. They've seen more ugliness and shame and downright filthy sin in their lives than I have in twice the amount of time -the kind of stuff that just comes with the territory when you live in the projects.

But they're also SOULwise. They realize that God accepts them as they are. They understand that He doesn't expect perfection, and that He welcomes them with open arms, no matter how tattered and torn and dirty they are. He just wants them to come. They understand that it's THEM God values, not their good deeds or their extreme makeovers. He may not like the baggage they're dragging, he may abhor the sinfulness they're wallowing in, but let me tell you: these girls understand that DESPITE it ALL, they serve a God who accepts and loves them just the way they are, and wants the very best for them today, tomorrow, and for all eternity. They GET it. THAT makes my heart soar.