Saturday, May 14, 2011

Perfect !


A perfect shot, isn't it ?

My daughter took it of their family dog and sent me the photo with the challenge to use it for a devotional.
I awwww...ed over the photo , of course! Then, I let my thoughts go and I followed them.
Let me share them with you .

*****
Scattered throughout our days and years, often in unexpected time and place, are flashes of perfection. We see a sudden vision of beauty, the coming together of details unusual or rare, insights that quicken our spirits or stir our emotions.

Often we recognize the fleeting quality of a perfect moment and something deep in us immediately reaches out to grasp hold and somehow capture, record, preserve it to relive its pleasure at will, to share it with others or to ensure that the experience will not be subject to fading in our less than perfect memories.

We reach for the camera or the pen to freeze the image, experience or insight that marks its significance in our soul.

Perfection ! Why does the mere glimpse of it resonate so profoundly in the depths of our being?

Did you ever stop to consider that we were created for perfection? That perfection is what 'fits' us best ?
No wonder we are so uncomfortable with sickness, grief, sorrow, pain, confusion, injustice and yes... death itself. We were never 'fitted' for those kind of things. We yearn for the perfect. When there is no longer a need to hold on to fleeting glimpses.

We were created in the image of our Creator God who is a God of Perfection. Would we not also be designed to enjoy perfection as well?

The garden of Eden was perfect. Sin destroyed that perfection and the resulting consequences were ill-fitted to man, leaving him ever dissatisfied deep in his soul.
But God's plan was still perfect....He would use man's failing to raise him up to be a 'perfect' man , fitted in every way to enjoy an eternity of perfection! He sent Jesus to prepare the way... and to send the His Spirit into our hearts . That is our work in this life - to yield to the indwelling Spirit guiding us, preparing and perfecting us for our true eternal home!

There is an interesting verse in Ecc. 3:11 that says "He has made everything beautiful (perfect) in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end."

Some bible translators translate the original Greek work into the English 'eternity' and some as 'the world' .
I think both together give the best sense of what God is saying. God has indeed put a sense of eternity and perfection in our hearts so we never lose the yearning to be perfect as we were created to be.
But as long as we are in our earthly bodies we are limited by this earth time. We do not have the ability to see what God did before our time or what He will do after this earth time is over. We cannot imagine what true perfection in all things is like !

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." I Cor. 2:9

One day this earth will end and there will be a new beginning ... A new heaven and a new earth where perfection will rule.
Can you imagine?
Never more a disappointing moment, a moment of sadness, a twinge of pain or regret. The moments of perfection we yearn to hold onto here will stretch timelessly there with nothing to cause even a ripple of discord. Every moment, every experience, every thought, every vision is unending perfection!
What unspeakable joys await us !!
*

12 comments:

Lovella ♥ said...

Such a perfect post for such a perfect moment in time captured forever more.
I so enjoy those moments you speak of. It seems that all too often we don't stop to really enjoy them. .but one day there will be no more hurry or oversight of the beauty God sets before us.

ellen b. said...

Perfection is very hard to imagine but still there's a yearning for things to be set right. Someday and I'm looking forward to that. Love capturing those perfect moments. Hope to capture more and appreciate them!

Judy said...

I can so identify with that...trying to capture those 'perfect' moments. One day everything will be made perfect! I can only imagine.

Kathy said...

What a perfect post. There is a song "I can only imagine'...your post made me think of it.

Anneliese said...

I love this glimpse into eternity.. in fact it helps me understand it better ... just to know it will be perfect, as He is perfect!

Betty said...

A beautiful photo to match a great lesson. A capture of 'joy in the moment'.

Anonymous said...

Love the photo. Little perfect moments are what makes us all smile and touches our heart. I pray each day that hate will be remove from just one person's heart to help make this world a better.

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

It clearly is God's gift to you: You can't be stumped for a devotional!

You hit the nail on the head about us wanting to photograph perfection. Like a sparkle, it captures our attention and yet such a thing is so fleeting that we hurry to document it.

Julie, I also wanted to tell you how much I admired your contribution to the Mennonite Girls cookbook. You did some heavy research to "perfect" your recipes and I know that such a thing is not just a matter of a dab of this and a dash of that. Kudos to you!

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

PS: I'm thinking cameras in heaven will need much, much bigger chips if we want to take a picture of all the perfection there!

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Julie. I had been praying earlier today for God to show me His purpose for me. I feel I found his answer right here in your post. Our work in this life is to 'yield to the indwelling Spirit who guides us'! This touched my heart.

Sonya

Marg said...

I thought that the earth was ending on Saturday...but somehow we're still all here.
Thank-you for your post of encouragement. Oh to be perfect in the eyes of the Lord and live that way with him forever.

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