Embracing Imperfection by Andrea Renee Cox

Photo by Tanya Barrow on Unsplash

As I’m writing this in late October, we’re coming upon the one-year anniversary of the release of Novelists in November. November 19 is the big day. It’s hard to believe nearly a whole year has gone by since this anthology was published!

My story in this collection is “Melting-Pot Thanksgiving,” which features an imperfect daughter tasked with creating the perfect Thanksgiving while balancing a tight writing deadline and helping her foster children deal with difficult life events. I cherished writing and revising this story because it was such a heartwarming premise that had me curious about why there was this push-pull between imperfection and perfection. I instinctively knew it wasn’t the kids Sarah Jones was fostering who were demanding perfection. Kids often don’t require that. But the dynamics that came from her relationship with her children actually played a humongous role in how Sarah approached the creation of Thanksgiving dinner when her mom asked for help because of an injury that prevented her from lifting heavy casserole dishes.

The thing about Sarah is that she has made sure her home is a safe place for her foster children. This meant they were free to be themselves on the daily. But it also meant having room to make mistakes and learn from them. Beyond that, she encouraged them to explore the idea of stepping out of what was comfortable if it meant becoming something greater. That freedom, that safe space, was something I wanted to highlight because it’s a special gift parents can give their children, whether biological or foster or adopted, within their homes. It’s incredible to be able to stumble around figuring out who you are and who you’re becoming and have your parents’ support through that struggle for finding your identity in God and who He’s shaping you to be in order to best honor Him with the gifts and talents and skills with which He’s equipping you.

Within the story, that safe place is challenged by Sarah’s family. Her brother barges in and demands answers about the mysterious Thanksgiving menu. Their dad sort of hangs in the background until near the end, but his presence adds depth to the family dynamics. Sarah’s mom creates the most dramatic resistance to this safe space, mostly by being demanding and a bit overbearing, but she has reasons that Sarah has to discover. It was grand fun writing each of these colorful relationships. The one that surprised me the most was the sibling relationship. It was such a collision of confrontation and support that I found myself melting so many times while working on the chapter that features the refrigerator being slammed in someone’s face. Yet, knowing the mom was the one expecting the perfect Thanksgiving meal and that she might not be fully happy with the results of her request made for some edge-of-my-seat writing as well. This might not be a suspenseful plot or tale, but the whole time I was writing, I wanted very much to know exactly how Mama would react to her daughter’s creative approach to the traditional holiday.

One of the most beautiful lessons on display in this story was how Sarah embraced imperfection in a way that inspired positive change. She made mistakes, but she learned from them. She went outside the bounds of her family’s traditions, but in doing so, she welcomed her foster children deeper into her family. She challenged her parents’ expectations for her career and lifestyle, yet she stood her ground because she knew deep in her bones to what God was calling her. Through it all, she loved each member of her family to the best of her ability. When that didn’t reach far enough, she relied on God’s love to fill the gaps. She leaned on Him for guidance in how best to love each person, to better see what they each needed from her. And she rested in God’s love for her when human love fell short. The variety of dynamics revolving around familial and divine love was challenging to write, but it was also a joy because it was neat to see God’s love spilling all over the pages. Every aspect of Sarah’s love is a reflection of how God loves us through difficult times, hard choices, and happy moments.

Perfection is overrated. As Sarah learned in “Melting-Pot Thanksgiving,” let us each embrace the imperfections in our lives. It’s in those moments, good and bad, that God shapes who we are becoming. He shows us how to better love the people that mean the most to us. He guides us in our creativity so that He may bless other people through it. And He shines His light in our lives so we’ll see His support and love as we walk through the challenges of life. Will you take the challenge of embracing imperfection in your life? What might that look like right now? In six months? In a year?

Be on the lookout. God just might surprise you around the next corner.

Author Bio:

Texan author Andrea Renee Cox is a born-again child of God who enjoys writing stories that inspire, copyediting fiction manuscripts, tutoring middle school students, and going on road trips with her family. Whether she’s working on historical, contemporary, women’s fiction, romance, or romantic tragedy, she uses her skills in research and writing techniques—as well as guidance from God—to produce the best story of her ability every time. Her books may be found on her website andreareneecox.com, and readers are welcome to follow her blog and subscribe to her newsletter for the latest updates in her journey.

Author Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/andreareneecox

Blog: https://andreareneecox.com/blog/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/andrea-renee-cox

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/andreacox

Hardcover: https://hardcover.app/@andreareneecox

Newsletter: https://andreareneecox.com/newsletter/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/andreareneecoxauthor/

Street Team: https://andreareneecox.com/street-team/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/screenwriter87

Website: https://andreareneecox.com

About Novelists in November:

Novelists in November is a Christian short story collection featuring eleven emotional tales of authors finding their calling in Christ and pursuing hope, joy, and inspiration. This anthology contains touching stories from contemporary and historical fiction authors with a mix of romance, women's fiction, and mystery!

About “Melting-Pot Thanksgiving”:

Sarah Jones has many responsibilities on her plate, but Thanksgiving wasn’t supposed to be one of them. When asked to host the holiday, she can’t push aside the task, even if it means dealing with her mother’s interference. As Sarah juggles meal preparations, a tight writing deadline, and guiding her two foster children through difficult life events, she must also find the courage to buck high expectations and family traditions. Will the trials of strained communication, disappointment, heartache, and altered plans find harmony to strengthen Sarah’s God-given novelist dreams? Will this imperfect yet dutiful daughter find a way to craft the perfect Thanksgiving dinner?