Imperfections — in things, in people, in
places — add character to life. Tell us about an imperfection that you cherish.
A broken
shell, a misshapen basket, and a piece of wheel thrown pottery by an
amateur…these are just a few of the imperfections in my life that I cherish.
A broken
shell...like the ones my mom and I used to search for with the boys on the
beaches of Gulf Shores during her “sabbatical years” there. The broken ones remind us that even though we
all become broken in one way or another over the course of our lives, we can be
and are still beautiful and worthy of being treasured. For example, many of the
shells on this part of the Gulf of Mexico develop small holes near the top,
which makes them ideal for making jewelry or gift ties out of to share with
others. Even though the shells are not “whole,”
their small imperfections make them more valuable than if they were in
their “original” condition.
A misshapen
basket…like most of the ones I made during my basket-making years on
Kwajalein. For a time, this was one of
my favorite crafty things to do, and even though my weave was not always
perfect, and it shows in some baskets more than others (such as the “vase-like”
one at my parent’s house that bulges out on one side more than the other), I
love that my baskets are still useful and beautiful despite my mistakes when
creating them. It’s a “forgiving” craft, that’s for sure. And the basket at my parent’s house is one of
my favorites, even though it’s misshapen. Today, I use these baskets for all
sorts of things, and I brought them all the way back from Kwajalein with me. In
fact, they were “dresser drawers” for all our socks, underwear, shirts, etc…for
a long time when we first moved to WA and did not have any bedroom furniture
yet. I certainly didn’t notice any of
their imperfections when they were holding all my stuff!
An amateur
vase…so, the story behind this one goes back to my pottery classes with a
Master Potter from Korea. During my
“artistic years” on the island before kiddos, I took wheel throwing pottery
classes starting with the beginner course on up to the advanced. During the advanced
class, the assignment was to make a tall vase. I was trying so hard to ensure I
could “raise” it up high enough that my fingers were literally leaving
impressions in the soft, wet clay as I pulled it up to its full height. All of
a sudden, my instructor asked me to stop. I did, and he said, “This is what we
call a happy mistake. Don’t touch it anymore.”
I still have that vase. If I had continued to try to make it better, it
would have eventually fallen, and I wouldn’t have a vase at all. I have always loved the way he said that…a
happy mistake. Isn’t that kind of what
most of life is made up of…happy mistakes? The most imperfect things, people,
situations so often teach us the most about ourselves and provide us with
wisdom for the way.
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.-Philippians 3:12
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.-Philippians 3:12
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