It Doesn't Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful

I never realized what a perfectionist I can be until it comes to things having to do with Lily. I've written before about how I want the things I do for her to be perfect. It makes me agitated when things aren't just so.

For instance, in Lily's scrapbook, each time I look at it and notice a flaw such as detectable dried glue, or something that was cut a little crooked, or something I glued onto the page a little off-center, it makes me flustered until I fix it. But then sometimes, I can't fix it unless I redo the entire page, which is not realistic because there are many small flaws such as this.

Or with my new tattoo, I've noticed a couple minor things on it that aren't "perfect," things that other people would honestly never see because they aren't staring at it like I do.

Another thing is I want Lily's spot to look well taken care of and beautiful all the time. If something has blown over or the flowers look dried up, I feel the urge to fix things right away.

I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to care for my baby girl in the only ways I can as her mother and wanting to make these things beautiful and special.

The problem comes when I expect everything to be perfect and get unsettled when they're not.

Here's where the lesson God has taught me comes in... things don't have to be "perfect" to be beautiful. Something can be beautiful, but still have flaws and imperfections. And isn't that who I am as a mother? I do my best, I try to make things beautiful, yet things will never be quite perfect because I am a human.

Not only can it still be beautiful despite the flaws, but sometimes the beauty comes in the flaws. The beauty comes in the imperfect person, who desires to live a life that displays the beauty, grace, and majesty of Christ Jesus.

My entire story is not perfect by the standard of this world. It has been flawed in so many ways because of my choices and because sin is in this broken world. Yet, because of the darkness, the light shines even brighter. The beauty is even more breathtaking because it has come not only in the midst of the broken imperfection, but in many ways because of it.

In my eyes, what's truly "perfect" is the plan God has unfolding, a plan that He somehow, in some amazing and unexplainable way, continues to craft beauty weaved within the flaws.

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