beautiful flaws...

There's an old Julia Roberts movie in which she (of all people) says, "It's our flaws that make us beautiful." When I first heard this statement years ago, it was a new concept to me. It didn't really make sense, & I don't think I "got" it. When I have an obvious flaw, it bothers me: a big old cold sore, a painful pimple, a bad hair day (that is when I had hair). You get the idea. When we are in our middle school years, we begin to hate our flaws. Sometimes we even wish we were someone else or at least had their looks. How our life would be changed!

As my daughters were growing up, I used Julia's line frequently. Her words aren't exactly a comfort, but I believe there's truth in them. It kind of goes along with the idea "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." If we were flawless, we would have no need for God, & furthermore, He would not be glorified. It's in our weaknesses, His beauty shows the most.

Some people always strive for perfection. They settle for nothing less & cannot enjoy their flaws. Mind you, I am not an olympic gymnast or a concert pianist. In my world, the beauty comes in the trying. Perfectionism repels others & robs us of our joy. If we were all prodigies, there would be no prodigies. Our flaws are what motivate us to do better, to practice something over & over, until we get it right.

What about flaws of the heart? What if our character is flawed? I guess what I'm really asking is...What if we are human? If we are human, our heart is flawed. One of my favorite scriptures is found in Psalm 51, "Create in me a clean heart, O God." Sometimes it takes an act of humility to admit or at least see our own flaws. Other times, we are caught off guard when we realize someone we looked up to is flawed. FACT: we are all flawed.

Why do we strive for perfection? Is it because our identity is wrapped up in our image, & we pressure ourselves to maintain our reputation? Maybe God has given us a beautiful gift, & we really do need to perfect it. Perhaps it's music, art, being a surgeon, etc. and perfection is in order. However, I believe it's God who enables us to perfect His gifts. Our gift (with out Him) is empty. It's like running on a never-ending treadmill & going nowhere. We beat up on ourselves, sweating drops of perspiration, only to realize that our gift means nothing without the right motivation. If we fail to give our gift back to God, we fail.

Our world is flawed. It's cursed. Because of that, I believe each of us longs for perfection, for Heaven. We long for no more tears. We long for a day when there will be no more suffering. We long for a day when all races, cultures, denominations will love each other with humility. No one will be striving for superiority. It doesn't exist. Our Heavenly bodies will be healed. Maybe I will even be able to sing in tune.  I believe animals will live in harmony. Our surroundings will be more beautiful than we can imagine. Pollution will not exist. Our hearts will be clean. Our baggage will be permanently unloaded. Our guilt relieved. Hurts soothed. Misunderstandings ended. Striving for perfection unnecessary. Peace will reign. Our beautiful flaws will be gone...