Saturday, April 27, 2013

perfect progress


We live in a world where almost nothing is truly linear. Nothing profound can be reduced to formula. Even simplicity has no rhyme or reason to it. I think about things I love most in life like long green grass and singing and laughing children. Even these things aren't predictable or perfect by any means.

And here I am thinking that recovery will look like a steady positive climb until I've reached the summit. I envision placing one foot in front of the other following a straight path to healing, never slipping or straying.

Diamonds are a thing of beauty. A girls best friend--why? Because they are rare, valuable, naturally brilliant. A diamond's value is based on several factors, or the four C's: carat, color, clarity, and cut. Although no diamond is absolutely perfect, the naturally more clear and colorless the stone, the pricier it gets. But scientists have found a way to make lab generated diamonds, spotless, clear, radiant--perfect. Interestingly enough, these diamonds are far less expensive than their earth-made counterparts.

Perfection just isn't valuable.

I strive for perfection daily. Whether its physical perfection, spiritual perfection, or relational perfection, it leaves me feeling empty and exhausted and disappointed when its just out of reach.
But Jesus didn't come for perfect people. He didn't even come to make us perfect. He came to love us in our complete disarray. He came to meet us here in our wounded and blemished state so He could tell us that we are far more valuable than the perfect people we try to be. He wants to fill all the gaps in our heart, complement our shortcomings, complete our fractured souls. He sees our imperfections as chances to sweetly love us. He desires us just the way we are.
"...He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
I run this race, I fall sometimes (most times), and get up always. I won't give up or give in because the God who never once gave up on me in the midst of all the chaos gently whispers,