Perfect Lives

I meet people in so many places. The homeschool co op, church, the neighborhood, facebook, blogs. I look in from the outside and see their seemingly "perfect" lives. I wonder what they are doing right and what I am doing wrong.

My house is messy, I sweep the floor 5 times a day, I vacuum more than that. I look at the pictures on their blogs and see the "perfect", the beautiful, the good. I despair. When I meet couples married for 30 years and they seem so connected, so happy, so, well, perfect. Then I fight with my husband about the same things over and over again. What do they know that I don't? I read, I pray, I study. I have buried my pride (well, ok, I'm still working on that one) but I don't have my perfect. WHERE IS MY PERFECT?

Then they let me into their homes, into their lives, and I see. They don't have perfect either. They have flaws, sadness, they fight, yell, they mess up too. And it's OK.

I remember there was only One Perfect. And He died for me. He made it possible for me to be imperfect. He gave me a shelter, a group, friends, elders to learn from, to grow with, to teach, and to follow.

I need not look further than scripture to find my Perfect. He is the Only Thing. He is Who I need to strive to be like. He forgives me my failings, lifts my chin, and tells me to try again. And again. And again.

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."(Mt 5:48)