Good Enough

It may not look good but it still tastes good.

I’m not a perfectionist.  In my view O.K. is good enough.  My excuse for not cleaning house perfectly is that I want others to feel better about their house cleaning when they compare it to mine.  Would Jesus want you to iron the tablecloth or to read the Word? 

Here is my ammunition for my argument.  One of my favorite teachings in the Bible is Luke 10: 42 when Jesus said, “…but few things are needed or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.”  To me this means-- don’t make a big fancy meal—just throw together a sandwich.  Spending time in the Word is better than fussing. But of course there may be some people who enjoy making things complex.

Now, there was my dad who wanted to have Christmas cookies baked.  My mom never got around to it, so he baked them himself.  Chris wanted our house decorated for Christmas in “Better Homes and Gardens” style.  I couldn’t physically do the work, and besides I wouldn’t enjoy doing it, so he hired my cousin’s daughter to help him.  They had a great time!

Although, sometimes my casual style gets me into trouble.  When our son, Jes, was learning to drive, I had him drive me to Eastern Washington to visit our daughter, his sister, in college.  We carelessly parked near the administration building on the campus.  When we came back to the car we had a parking ticket.  Times have changed and colleges try to make money any way they can. (Don’t tell your dad Jes. He would have checked the parking rules and parked a mile away if he had to.)

 We then decided to check out the stadium.  We found a free parking space and decided to hike up the hill to the stadium.  Unfortunately, the hill was all mud. Our shoes were caked by the time we got to the top.  (Don’t tell your dad Jes. He would have noticed the mud.)

When we packed to return home I had neglected to put my hair mousse in a plastic bag and it suddenly released all of it contents. (Don’t tell your dad Jes. He would have made sure it was in a plastic bag.)

Jes said, “We may get into more trouble with mom, but we have more fun.” Not stressing over things is more calming and makes for more enjoyment. Chalk it up to living and learning.  Next time we won't make the same mistakes.

Enter the computer—unfortunately the e-mail address has to be correct or the mail won’t go anywhere.  This is one thing that I have had to work on.  The computer isn’t smart enough yet to find the correct address for me.  But I am so happy that the computer is able to correct spelling and typos if it isn’t a real word.  My 23 words per minute with 23 mistakes is completely cleaned up by the computer!  Now, if I had a robot to go around with me and quietly help me I would be set.

So, there is a delicate balance between carelessness and perfectionism. Another favorite verse of mine is Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  It is more important to have peace in your life than to do everything perfectly. Trust God to help you as you grow and learn.

If we fail to do everything perfectly let it go. Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. We will learn from our mistakes and do better next time.  

“…but few things are needed or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her