It’s been a busy few weeks at the Jones house. After speaking last weekend in Atlanta I drove directly to Tuscaloosa to get Ashton settled into school (and yes, I still go back to school shopping at Target with my college sophomore and LOVE it!) Once home, Kylie and I hit the wedding ground running, scouring the internet for ideas (who knew Pinterest could be so gosh darn addicting??) and visiting potential wedding sites.
At first exploring wedding venues was fun. While Kylie was in Haiti two weeks ago, JP and I even made a few date days out of it. Grinning with broad smiles we’d joke,”We have no idea if Tim and Kylie are enjoying their engagement, but we sure are!” after gorging ourselves on yet another gourmet lunch provided by one of the venues we previewed for them.
But after searching in vain for the perfect venue, last night we got just plain tired. Of course, there is no “perfect”. I know that. So why do I keep looking for it? Why do any of us?
No matter what your season of life, or that of your child, it’s hard to resist the temptation to seek perfect.
The perfect teacher or perfect school
The perfect job
The perfect house
The perfect spouse
We want perfect grades, perfect manners and perfect obedience. We want perfect lawns, perfect neighbors and days that unfold perfectly, without a single glitch, problem or interruption.
Sure, we nod our heads in agreement that perfection is an illusion but we live as if perfect is somehow attainable–expected, even. Need proof? Millions of us trade in our spouses (or wish we could). We church hop every few years. We march into the principal’s office to demand a class change before the year’s even begun. We dread our jobs, get frustrated with people and hate our houses all because we think (honestly, we do) that somewhere out there perfect exists.
I don’t know…perhaps God put an expectation for perfect into our hearts. Maybe we long for perfection because it actually does exist.
Just not here.
The perfection I long for is found only in Jesus. If I’m searching for anything else in my life to meet my expectation of perfection I’m going to be disappointed.
Every time.
God allows me to experience disappointment when I seek perfection in people, places or things to drive me to seek the only place perfection is found. In Him.
I’m reminded of my favorite childhood story, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Remember what she said? This one’s too big. This one’s too small. Oh…but this one is just right.
Not perfect. Just right.
Just right for my needs. Just right for now. Just right.
Contentment is found in being satisfied with just right rather than being consumed with just perfect.
Here’s the truth we must all come to grips with: God uses imperfection to perfect us.
Maybe the best lesson in all the fun of planning my sweet daughter’s wedding is something we might never have considered: the perfect place might be wonderfully imperfect, but it will be just right. Maybe the imperfection will remind us to keep our eyes on the only One who is perfection.
I don’t know…that sounds kind of perfect to me.
And pretty much just right.
For Further Reflection:
- What imperfections are you facing right now?
- As you face imperfect situations today ask “Could God possibly be using these imperfect circumstances to get my attention?”
- What do you think God wants to teach you in the midst of your imperfect life?
Donna speaks to thousands of women all over the United States. To see when Donna will be in your area click here, or to have Donna speak at your event click here.
