Perfection

I look through my bucket of apples. No, that's not the one I want, neither is that one...I'm looking for just the right one. The perfect one. Well, I decide--this one isn't quite perfect, but it's purty close.

How do you decide what is 'perfect'? With apples...and many other things...there are some things that you automatically know you don't want. You don't want rotten spots, you don't want worms. These are not good--with apples.

"This is so cute!" my daughter says. We are on one of our few shopping endeavors.
"Yeah, it's not bad," I scrutinize her selection.
"It's just Lucy's size-- and it's on sale, too," she says.

(That's why I like shopping with her, sales just fall into her lap. When sales people see me coming they think my mother named me "Patsy". --Here comes a Patsy--let's mark everything up! Sales folks see her coming and prices just fall.)

"Oh, mom! Isn't this just perfect! Don't you think it would look good on you?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Why not?" she says holding the offensive looking blouse up for me to see better.
"Well," I don't want to hurt her feelings, but... "I don't like short sleeves, the neckline is...actually the neckline isn't--and..."
"Oh," she says sticking it back on the rack.

How do you decide what's perfect? I don't like shopping, and I'm glad that I am not forced to go shopping often, but this has been a perfect day at that. We started early in the morning. I don't drive in large cities, so we take my car, but she drives. (Something, at one point in our relationship, I said I would never do again...never, never, never! Thankfully she survived, and she drives proficiently-now.) We laughed a lot, and kicked around a number of shops where she found several bargains, and I even picked up a few. We laughed over lunch at the food court, and visited a couple more shops in the afternoon, leaving town before rush hour traffic.

Ecclesiastes 1:15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

This day should be perfect for accomplishing all of those simple little tasks, the ones that get put off because--they need done, but--I just never have time. That's what I think in the morning as I send 'the boys' off to their day's work.

At the end of the day as I'm late in preparing 'the boys' their supper, and I have accomplished zilch, nada, zippo of the things I had planned I wonder, "What happened to my perfect day?"!
The day started out straight and full of promise. But the straight ended up going crooked, and we ended up 'wanting'...and days like this seem to be without number.

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:15 "Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded:"

So, what does the Apostle mean here--first he isn't perfect--then he is? Well, in the first case, he hadn't 'laid hold on the finished prize'. He was still running his race. In the other case, he had done what he was called to do; was doing what he was laid hold on to do. He was being obedient to his Lord.

"So, how ya doin'?" my son asks his Uncle.
"The best I can...with what I've got to work with," he replies.

People warned my husband and I when we were engaged, "Can you imagine their children?" They wondered aloud. I didn't quite understand...then...but I do now. Always an answer to any question, and generally always an interesting answer, no less.

"There was only one perfect person," my mother used to say, "and look what they did to him."

It seems the closer to perfection a person gets the more the world hates them.

John 3:19 And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. 20) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved.

2Timothy 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

We have the complete Word of God, we are 'thoroughly furnished' thoroughly provided the means to walk in and do 'all good works'. We have no real excuse. The biggest problem that stands in our way? Ourselves.

As in the famous quotation: We have met the enemy--and it is us.

2Corinthians 12:9 And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

1Timothy 4:10 For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe.

Let us continue to strive for the prize, of the high calling of God: Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.