I look at my nails this morning. Less than 24 hrs. ago I had my first manicure and now my nails are rich in color, smooth, shiny, and perfect … except for one small chip. Nine out of 10, perfect; the 10th with a flaw.
I think I like it that way. It’s such a reflection of my life. The last 3 months have been a whirlwind of great blessings:
Emily visited for 6 weeks while doing a pharmacy rotation. We have always been close, but living so far apart creates distance in a relationship, too. It was wonderful to have her here, to see her dressed each morning for work in a cute outfit, to linger over a meal and talk about anything and everything, to receive advice from her, and to hear about the hopes and dreams and plans she shares with her husband. This wonderful young woman is my friend and I treasured every moment.
Joe has been here almost 2 weeks, his girlfriend Amber a week. I’d met her only briefly before and it’s been great to spend time with her, get to know her, to see her and Joe as a couple. I like her a lot. He has been on a roll, hardly stopping to sleep as he visits friends, shows Amber the sights, talks about football and work and politics. To cap off his visit, he learned yesterday that he passed the first (and hardest) test on his path to being a licensed architect. He arrived for the holidays absolutely certain he had failed the test; he will leave motivated and excited to keep pressing toward his goal.
Having both of them home has given me more time with Mitch, too. Though he lives here, he works and goes to school and has one of the bedrooms set up with his tv and computer – a den where he studies and relaxes, an introvert like me. But he has spent more time hanging out with the family, laughing and debating and making us laugh with his offbeat sense of humor. No longer “the little kid” but a man who is easy-going, kind, funny. His eyes glistened with tears that he tried to hold back as he hugged Emily good-bye. What a beautiful moment and blessing for me to witness.
Mark and I were recently able to buy a piece of ground, realizing one of Mark’s dearest dreams. 80 acres – half timber for hunting, half crop ground to cash rent. We looked at a house for sale near the ground; it wasn’t quite right but we are keeping our eyes open and making plans together. It feels good to have moved closer to each other again in our marriage and to have some new plans and hopes for the future.
Like my new manicure, my life right now feels rich in color, smooth, shiny, new. But it won’t stay that way and even at its best it isn’t perfect. The glow of our time together will fade and there will always be chips. They are the inevitable trials of living in a fallen world; the veil that hangs between this life and the next; the separation I feel from my real home, my eternal home.
This life can never be perfect, but it can be very beautiful. And the chips aren’t flaws or something to avoid – they are necessary too. God Himself will fill them in, clear them out, change the color, and re-do them as He wills. Sometimes ragged, sometimes nearly perfect; always worth pondering both the perfection and the flaws.
“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
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