Family resemblance

My Little Prince gets very excited when he puts on his shoes.  Lots of times he puts them on backwards.  Most of the time.  He is very happy about mealtime and feeding himself.  Until recently there was always food everywhere afterwards.  He is so glad to be playing with his big sister whom he adores.  But sometimes he hits, bites, pushes, yells or acts like a general whooligan.  He draws a scribble on the paper and tells me it is a car.  He sings the ABC's in no particular order and lately has been in habit of leaving out TUV altogether (I'm not sure what riff he has had with them, but for now they are out!  or i guess o_ _!)  He lays in bed for 5 minutes before commotion begins and then when I open his door to find out what the ruckus is about he exclaims, "I take good nap!" 
I'm a lot like my son when it comes to following Christ.  I am very passionate, enthusiastic and truly give it a good try, but more times than not I get it wrong.  I miss the mark when it comes to imitating Christ.  I know this is not an earth-shattering revelation to anyone who has known me for any amount of time.  I "draw scribbles" with my everyday actions and attitudes and then tell the world, "This is my 'drawing' of Christ.  Doesn't it look just like Him?"  And much like we do with our son, you turn my "artwork" every which way, but can't find much of the Master in it anywhere.  I put my "convictions" on the wrong feet and announce, "I'm ready to go!"  But I have failed to "put on love" so that I can walk without stumbling.  I tend to hit, bite, push, yell or act like a general whooligan to the very people I love and am called to love.  I leave out some of the most important aspects of being a new creation and think that I will be able to spell out Christ to the world without them.  And I often rebel against the rest God offers me and then exclaim, "I'm good.  All ready to go!" when really I'm so depleted that I am of no good to anyone.
I guess what I am saying is two-fold.  First, an apology.  For standing up and declaring that I am portraying Jesus in truth, when clearly I am not.  And second, thanks.  Thanks to God that He looks at me and knows me, so much better than I even know LP (and how stinkin' much to I love that rascal?!!)  And imperfect as I am, God loves me despite my "doodles" and is patient knowing that I want to keep at it until I learn to sketch out His portrait with my life.  
I want the world to know that knowing Christ leads to the most abundant, amazing life ever, but I'm like a potty-training preschooler when it comes to expressing it.  So I pray you will look past the scribbles, the spilled cheerios and my predisposition to bite if you can and see something of my Father in me.