Perfection
I think one of the major problems with our faith and life is our need, and the needs of others, for us to be perfect. I know that I have struggled with this concept for some time. I have struggled with my own personal need for perfection, and the need of others for me to be perfect. I have tried. I have tried.
I have wanted to make myself, and others happy with me, please with what I have accomplished. I have tried to be the perfect friend, wife, mother, pastor, etc. I have tried to look perfect, to act perfect, to be perfect inside and out. Let me tell you…a ton of work with very little accomplished.
I have failed miserably. I have not accomplished all that some would want me to so I would be “successful.” I have continued to fight the battle of the bulge, I have wrinkles, stretch marks, “oversized” body parts, and a few gray hairs. (I say few, because I really have no clue since I have been coloring my hair for years!) My home is always in need of cleaning, as is my office and desk. I say things I should not, I do things I should not. I fail.
But what I truly fail at is trying to be perfect. And since perfection is an illusion, something I will never be, why do I feel the need to try so hard? Well, I don’t any more, and it came to me during a walk on the beach one day.
I walked on the beach looking for the “perfect” conch shell. Every time I bent over to pick the “perfect “ shell up, I realized it had a flaw. I continue my search to no avail. Then as I picked up an “imperfect” shell one more time, I heard God speak to me. God reminded me of the amazing life of these shells. All of their “imperfections” were signs of their journey, they told their story. Just as my “imperfections” tell of my journey, my story.
God also shared with me, that God never discards me because of my imperfections. Now that got me. God does not discard me, throw me aside like an unwanted shell, because I am not perfect. In fact, God picks up the ugliest ones and proudly displays them as God’s prize possessions. Me, imperfect, scared, broken, pitted, worn, discarded by others self, me, God picks me up and displays me as God’s own!!
So I don’t worry about perfect anymore. Each day is a new day to present the real me before my God and say, “Ok, what we doin today? You lead and I will follow. And when I don’t I will get back up and try again. And by the way…thank you for picking me up.”
O how freeing it is to know we don’t have to be perfect. In the Old Testament when the priests were presented a sacrifice they didn’t scrutinize the worshipper they inspected the lamb. Our Lamb is the perfect One, Jesus. So we can rest in the finished work of the Cross. Yeah God!!!