Come as You Are: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

I read the email with frustration and exhaustion. My grandfather had passed away that same week.

I had just shared with my classes about my loss and this email felt insensitive, cold, and poorly timed.

Did I mention the student had a solid A in my course?

Adding to my frustration, I hadn’t been able to keep my composure in front of my students. I had cried during class. I had wanted to prepare them for my absence as I attended my grandfather’s services, but I showed my weakness. I showed that I was not able to focus on work.

Through tears of grief and frustration, I took a deep breath and responded to the email. I pushed the meeting off until I returned from a few days of bereavement leave.

When the time for the meeting came, I still didn’t understand why this student wanted to meet. When he showed up at my office with another student, my confusion deepened.

Soon, the true purpose of the meeting became clear.

These students presented me with a sympathy card and a bag of chocolate. They had passed the card around for their peers and classmates to sign. They cared, they showed compassion, they showed God’s love, and most importantly they showed me that it was okay to be human.

A wave of gratitude and appreciation washed over me. But even greater than these emotions was a clear message from God saying, “Come as you are.” (Isaiah 55: 1-3)

I now realized that “coming as I am” to all walks of life is what God called me to do. I can be who God called me to be in the classroom. I can cry in class. I can let my flaws show. I can be human in class.

In academia, imposter syndrome is rampant.

The number of times I have felt insufficient, or I’ve heard others express the same sentiment is too many to count. We doubt our abilities and fear being exposed. Worse yet, we sometimes treat others poorly or think ill toward others in an effort to cover up our faults and fears.

But, as I learned from my students, there is no room for the imposter in the lives of Christian faculty. God does not call us to hide behind our faults but rather trust that he will use them for good.

May you be encouraged to “Come as you are” to academia each and every day praising God for you are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14).