03 February 2014

Living in an imperfekt world

When you read that title - the first thing you wanted to point out was that I'd spelt imperfect wrong wasn't it? Did it grate on your sensibilities knowing that imperfect is just NOT spelt that way. Even when I look at it  my fingers itch to go back and change it - they want to, they really do.

Inspiration for these thoughts on imperfection sprung from the calendar we have hanging on the wall of our bedroom. Each year the school uses kids' art as a fundraiser for parents to get suckered into buying calendars and cards. So, of course, we dutifully oblige. This year Noah's picture is (what else!) a dinosaur. But you see, every time I look at the picture it immediately reminds me of imperfection. The tail just isn't in proportion - apparently the dye ran or something while he was doing it he said - so his brontosauraus or whatever it is - has this really fat looking tail. I find myself wishing I could find a way to make it look 'right' but then I stop and realise that looking at that old dinosaur tail is actually making me appreciate the imperfection in this world. Making me realise that we do live in a completely broken and imperfect world. One that I will never change.



At times I know my desire for perfectionism in my own life can be my undoing. Case in point, I read my blog posts multiple times checking for spelling and grammar errors. You have no idea how annoying it is when it's actually published live and I spot a mistake that I didn't manage to pick up on the first 5 times of reviewing it! Of course I then have to go and edit the post and fix it - you other perfectionists out there will understand this wee quirk I'm sure.

Another thing I used to be terrible at and still sometimes have to stop myself doing is correcting others when they've pronounced something wrong or said something that isn't quite right. My hubby would challenge me to admit I'm Mrs "Always Right" in an argument and you know what I'm not that proud of holding that title. Sure, I know there's a time and a place for making sure things are said and done correctly when it really is a matter of life and death, but what does it really matter if hubby pronounces 'bald' as 'bold' and Mylo calls 'today' 'this day'? Not much.

I actually believe there's one good reason why nobody and nothing is perfect in this world - it's because only Heaven will be.

Jesus came to earth as a human - he understood what it is like to be a human, to be imperfect. Yet he came from a perfect place. Imagine how hard THAT must have been not to just wave a magic wand over all the problems he saw and just FIX them ALL there and then. Because he could have done it, and he didn't.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of glory. Glory as of the only son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:16

The perfection that Jesus brought into this world was in the words he spoke. Truth, perfect truth. Like a laser beam light shining into a dark, dark world, he left us with his words for all time.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5


And the reason that Earth is still here now as it was 2,000 years ago, broken and imperfect? It's because we are MEANT to yearn for something more - we are meant to have a hole in our soul that can only be filled with the knowledge of Him. We are meant to long for the perfection that awaits in a pure and perfect place - where an eternity of perfection awaits. Just imagine that for a moment. Our imperfect minds cannot even begin to comprehend what the word 'eternity' means. We want to think we do, but we really have NO idea.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that none may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

So it is when we, broken and imperfect, come to Him, acknowledge that in our own limited understanding what happens in this world is really too much to bear, too painful to understand at times, and that the only answer is that there MUST BE MORE. And it is THIS belief, THIS faith that saves us. Faith in a perfect Creator who knows the end of the story. He's read all the chapters from start to finish. Scratch that - he actually wrote the whole damn book!

And what does being saved by faith do? It gives the ability to give grace to others when they are less than perfect. When they disappoint us and let us down as people always will. And it gives us a resounding measure of grace to live out our own messed-up, tear-stained, and incredibly complicated lives in the knowledge that this world in its awful awesomeness is not the end.

And I thank the Lord for that.

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