When I was at a local coffee shop, a coffee cup caught my eye. One side had a wincing smiley face with a bandage over its eye. The other side said, “I am Fine .” Of course, I had to have it, and I wanted to know what inspired the design.

After placing my order and speaking with the man behind the counter, I learned he was the graphic designer. He created the graphic to express how he felt during the building phase of their business.

I could relate.

I mean, who can’t? How often do we go through life saying “I am fine” yet feel like a train wreck inside?

This cup serves as a reminder that I don’t need to pretend to “be fine,” and that’s ok. Instead, I want to stay true to who God created me to be.

Genuine, raw, and authentic. So I will choose to be transparent in uncertain times.

We will all have ups and downs in life; it’s not about hiding them. It’s how we face those obstacles that matter. It’s how we seek God in those crazy places that matter. It is how we grow from those places that matter. It is choosing to show God working in a raw and real way. It may be a bit messy, and that’s ok, perfection is God’s job, not ours.

I am not suggesting we wallow in self-pity when things are going wrong in life. I am simply saying we need to be women that inspire the generation behind us to face life’s challenges authentically.

We won’t always be ok; things won’t always be perfect, and that’s fine. But, we can show our vulnerability at times. In that, we show God goes before us. We also show how to pray when we are afraid. Our lives become an example of what worship looks like when our hearts are broken, and we have no words.

We won’t always have the strength to face the storms alone, and that’s ok. But, we have sisters in Christ pray with, encourage, and hold accountable.

Being transparent with our walk shows how God makes our mess a testimony of his power and goodness.

I don’t know about you, but I will choose to walk authentically (even if it’s messy) to show God’s hand in my life. May my life be a LIVING testimony, not just words were spoken.