As I reached for my closet door, I noticed a piece of my garment hanging out. As I turned the handle and opened the door boxes began to fall from the top shelf. There I was picking up hats, gloves and other items that were stored in the box on the shelf. I look over and realized that my beautiful off white skirt had gotten slammed in the door. It was dirty and had to be taken to the dry cleaners. What happened to my beautiful perfectly neat closet? Then it hit me! The problem with my thinking is that I don’t have a perfect closet! With boxes falling and garments getting stuck in the door, the “perfect” was gone! Not to say that it was all messy, as it’s not, but it was not perfect! That got me to thinking about myself and others. None of us are perfect! No matter how much we change or stay the same, we are not perfect! Like my closet, things will become undone and get messy in our lives. So what may have seemed to be a perfect life, never was!
We all have so many flaws and imperfections that we probably don’t ever give them a thought. We only see the not so good in others and hope change will come in them. Or we talk about the imperfections in others while choosing to look over our frailties. I have begun to look at myself and those things about me that are not my best qualities. I have asked God to help me change as I know that I am a work in progress. God is always doing a good work in me, I believe His word (Philippians 1:6) on that. And even though this life can become so complex at times I have to remember not to become like the world. In so much that my thoughts turn to judging others, being critical of others imperfections and even putting others down. While forgetting that God is the only one to judge. His words says to judge not or you shall be judged.
My zodiac sign says that I have a tendency to be a perfectionist. Yes, it is true. I like things to be in order. I like things neat. I like things to be the very best that they can be and that at times has even included myself! But thank God, I’ve learned that I have to take self out of the equation. When I decrease and allow God to increase in my life there is the balance. That is the correct order of things. I had to stop trying to be this perfect me for myself and everybody. That was me being consumed by the very thing I should not have allowed to happen. I was living by the worlds standard. So like my closet when I transform it into a neat and orderly place by my standards. I needed to do the same for my mind and attitude by Gods standards. And that was to transform my thinking differently especially surrounding being perfect. The saying “nothing is as it seems” is just that at times. We look at things and people and we have a tendency to put them in categories. Like; the best, the worst, the good, the bad, the not so perfect and the just right! Who are we to bring these critical revelations to others attention or to mock those we deem at a lower standard then ourselves. God is not amused at the way we treat each other at times. I remember in the movie “Why Did I Get Married” when Janet Jackson said that she was always trying to be perfect Pattie but perfect Pattie messed up! We assume that this life that we live is justified by how we may be just a tad bit different then others or how our lives may mirror that so perfect lifestyle.
Where was it written that the outcome from birth to wherever we’re at today in life was always going to be a bed of roses? That would mean that no thorns had a chance to sprout up and sting us. Not true! God said “Lo, I’ll be with you always” even in the fire. We have to endure messy sometimes just like our closets. We have to endure unpleasantness at times in life. We are not perfect by no means just like our closets. I’m not saying that all of our lives is a total mess. On the contrary, I feel that if we look real deep into the core of our existence we will most likely find that our life is positively “great”! So like my closet whenever it needs to be reorganized. I too will look for ways to reshape, transform and rethink ways to make my life just a tad bit better. As close to perfect as God will allow it to be. I won’t ever reach the level of perfectness as Jesus, but I will do my best to live a life that is pleasing to God.
