Matched

I almost never wear matching socks. One will be white and the other might be black. My left foot might dance with bright red hearts, while my right swirls with light blue clouds. Stripes and polka dots, blue and ladybugs, purple heel next to gray heel. Maybe, on a good day, they'll both be white; but on closer inspection you might notice that one is long enough to reach my knee and the other barely covers my ankle.

I call them my wacky socks, and they feel really good on my feet. When I wear them I remind myself that I am fun and unique. I could tell you that I choose to wear different socks as a bold statement of individuality. The reality, though, is that I actually hate folding socks.

I have bags of unmatched socks just waiting for someone to throw a big find-your-mate sock party. But since my mailbox hasn't been graced with such an invitation, I just grab two socks that both meet the "fit on my feet" requirement and push the bag back in my closet.

I would love to wear matching socks every day. They would still be wild and crazy, but it would be nice if they were identically wild and crazy.

Before I was a Christian, I tried to match myself to the world. I wanted to be as pretty, as popular, as funny, as successful. But every potential match I found demanded that I try to be like someone else. Something within me was missing, but nothing I added filled the hole.

The fact is, it's Jesus who completes us. He meets us where we are and He cleanses us from our sin. He doesn't ask us to become perfect in order to receive Him, He perfects us. When we choose to walk on our own, we journey through a mismatched world of individuals. When we accept Him as Lord and Savior of our lives, we join a body of unique believers whose hearts are matched in the most significant way.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)