Nothing's Perfect and Everything is Great!
“Growing Over” acrylic by Myra Alibrando
Lack of Heroes
As a teen, I would get depressed for the lack of real heroes. I was a strange combination of cynical and idealist. I resented the lack of perfection in people. Every time I started to think I found a hero, I discovered flaws, imperfections, real faults. This mentality continued into my Christianity in my twenties and I found myself liking the old testament more than the new testament, after all we should obey God not be dependent on grace.
Could I possibly be more wrong? My life crashed and burned and by God’s grace years later I was tearfully grateful for His welcoming love.
Life is Messy, but God Gives Gifts
Life is messy. People are sinners. Angelic babies have dirty diapers. Godly men need to brush their teeth. We have all been lied to and cheated but we cherish our life and run from death for a reason.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
More than Forgiven, Promoted in Love
Because of God, we sinners can not only be redeemed, but also become instruments of encouragement, love, laughter, and God’s redemption. Those angelic babies with dirty diapers grow up to be workers, entrepreneurs, athletes, parents, providers, protectors, and grandparents.
Fork in the Road
Instead of becoming bitter because of the pain of being cheated and lied to, consider the fact that the very same experience is had by basically everyone you know; this is a cause for your compassion for all the suffering around you including the guilt of us and others who have lied and done wrong to others.
We make room for forgiveness and flaws and we discover life can be absolutely wonderful. Bad traffic, bad drivers, stuff breaking down or needing replacement, irreversible aging, big smiles with food on our teeth . . . we love our life.
Precious Life
We lose loved ones and miss their life intertwining with ours. Their life is precious to us and probably, our life was precious to theirs.
Without grace, without forgiveness, without love, without hope, life is mostly pain. Knowing the truly perfect God who not only offers Christ’s sacrifice as adequate payment to set us free from the debt of our crimes, he extends His fatherly hand to adopt us, raise us, and prove to us that we are made in His image.
We Blend in with Our Company
We all become more like the ones we spend time with. Read the Word. Pray. Thank Him until that gratitude becomes worship in the privacy of your car, your bed, your closet, or a walk in the forest. You cannot help but see everyone with a more generous eye, recognizing their need for your love, your grace, and your willingness to allow them to grow, if they want to.
Minimize Rejection
Even if they reject you, remember out of the 8 billion souls in the earth that need love, the majority will welcome your smile and encouragement. God’s promises are real.
All This for Your Life
Yeah, life is messy but your 37 trillion cells designed by God are exquisitely constructed, living, working, and communicating with each for you to live and be healed time and time again.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14
Scientists guess there are 2 trillion galaxies in the observable universe while others say 10 trillion and others insist it is “only” 200 billion. Who knows? What a show of God’s power. We find inside cells are atoms estimated by some to be 7 octillian (7x10 to the 27th power) or a 7 with 27 zeroes. Folks, that is per cell. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and not one of us knows how to make a living plant, tree, animal, or human with a spirit that seeks meaning.
Life is beyond profound and God did all this to make you and also for you to see all He has made. Our soul and choices are important to Him. We are important to Him. He has given us all that life is. How can we not worship? How can we not kneel? How can we not love Him back and love others who are like us? All of us are needing love and searching for a way to overcome pain. Being recipients of forgiveness and generous grace, how can we not reach out to others, at least a little?
Thank you, Sam!! That was a wonderful message and one that I needed. I know that you are being blessed for your efforts to help others. Loved the painting Myra did. She is very talented.