What does perfection mean to you? I have a new children’s book out, Story Octopus: Writing Helper Extraordinaire. The eProof looked fine, or so it seemed in my eyes, but when I received my first print copy it was not quite perfect. My husband who calls himself my number one fan said it was awesome. So why my unsettled feeling of imperfection? What did I think was wrong? I thought I could’ve or should’ve done this or that a little differently. Maybe if I’d known more about the printing process of illustrations in a children’s book I would’ve noticed my imperfections. I looked at the book several times and kept thinking to myself, “it’s really OK,” but…that feeling of indecisiveness and uncertainty. Something was missing or wrong, not quite right, and I didn’t think I could live with it.
I pondered over and over what to do? Should I do anything? Was it OK, awesome, like my husband said? Would others notice my imperfection if I left it like it was? Then it hit me! What am I thinking? I’m nitpicking, criticizing every page from the printer, every possible thing I could’ve done differently and I realized… it was just how I created it to be and that was imperfect!
Story Octopus: Writing Helper Extraordinaire was created to show elementary age children how to write and how technology now offered to us is worth learning about and basically fun! And it was going to do just that even with the imperfection. I realized I was being petty. Story Octopus was ready to do the job he was created for just like he was!
This made me think of how Jesus died for me and everyone else, people who are not quite perfect, and He’s not waiting for us to be better. God created us for a job and He wants us just like we are. He wants us to show something, to show His love and His son to others. We are just what we are meant to be with all our flaws and imperfections.
They are going to correct Story Octopus, to perfect him more to the creation I intended him to be, and all I had to do was ask. Isn’t this also just like our God? He perfects us more and more every day to the creation He intends us to be, and all we have to do is ask!
I’ve thought some of these same thoughts of myself. I nitpick, criticize, my every move at times wondering if I could’ve, should’ve done something differently or better. Aren’t we so thankful God is less critical of us than we are of ourselves? I wonder if God is critical of us at all.
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” This is the perfection we should be persistent for. God’s not critical of us. He’s always making us better!
So, are you one of those people who work to get everything perfect, the perfect gift, the perfect splendor, the perfect gathering? I’m hoping we can all realize we are already given the perfect gift, the perfect splendor, and the perfect gathering with Jesus. Jesus is the only perfection we can ever obtain in our lives. And all we have to do is ask!
Unraveled Encouragement 