| Matthew 5:48 – “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” |
“You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.” This line was used in an advertising campaign for AdoptUSKids a few years ago. For much of my life I have put off trying something difficult because I didn’t feel I could do it perfectly.
I now have a new attitude. Something imperfect is better than perfectly nothing. I need to re-stain our cedar fence. It has been six years. I fear I won’t get it done perfectly, so I don’t do it. I am working to overcome that and simply begin the process. Projects gain a momentum to them. . . once we start.
M Bank had an ad campaign, “The Power of Momentum”. It takes a lot to stop a train that has reached full speed, or a running back in full stride. So many things I need to do begin with a dread in the pit of my stomach. Once I begin, I enjoy it. I just have to overcome that feeling, and get that boulder to budge.
Once I get it moving, the job seems half done. And I feel energized to try something else. Every other Sunday, I go to a memory care unit and conduct a worship service of singing with the residents. I have done this for ten years now. I go with about 10 others from our church and a sister church nearby. In that time, I have gained quite a few new friends from those who assist me in this, and from the residents we sing with. I know so many by name. We go around and shake each person’s hand at the end. This past Sunday, when I got to Nikki, she asked me to pray for May. May is the activity coordinator (one of them) and she lost her husband. I was touched that it occurred to her to mention it to me. Over the years, I have grown fond of May, and she has become a good friend. I was sorry to hear that news. When my time comes to go to the memory care and sing for an hour, I have to overcome this little dread in the pit of my stomach. I do just that and I go get in my car, drive the 4 miles at 2:30 pm, wait for my friends to gather there, sign in, go past security. Once I see them and begin greeting them, I wonder why I didn’t want to come. The power of momentum. Jesus said at the end of the sermon on the mount, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”. I try to be like Him, even though I have a ways to go. Father in heaven, help me to be like You, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
- Jeff Beall
