Tuesday, October 20, 2015

From a Distance
By Lisa Boyer

“But He gives us more grace.”
James 4:6a (NIV)

I love taking pictures and capturing nature and wildlife has become one of my favorite hobbies of late. This summer, I’ve had the privilege of photographing indigo buntings, a red squirrel, hummingbirds, a baby bunny nursing, male and female orioles, a baby cardinal, twin fawns, a red-tailed hawk, a pair of mallard ducks, and more birds than I can identify…all in my yard. And when I’m not home, I find I’m subconsciously looking for nature scenes worth capturing….

Several times, I’d driven past an amazing-looking apple tree with the brightest red apples I’d ever seen. Eventually, I found a moment to stop to take a picture. As I stood under the tree, I saw the apples weren’t as wonderful as they appeared from the road. Yes, they were bright red, but up close I could see bruises and insect damage. Not wanting to give up, I searched the tree for the right angle to take a picture from, but the wasps swarming the apples made the perfect picture impossible to get. I was seriously disappointed.

As I drove away, I considered how often life is like that. From a distance, things can look so perfect, but get close enough and flaws are revealed. Relationships are ideal for bringing out flaws. The fall of man  - - Adam’s sinful act in the garden - - and our own sin affect us in such negative, and often painful, ways. Let’s face it: We are imperfect beings living in an imperfect world.

But just because getting close to someone reveals our and their imperfections, let’s not keep others at a distance because of it. How we handle imperfections can speak louder than words themselves.

Consider what the response might be if we graciously accept others when their imperfections are painfully obvious. They may see the love of Jesus being lived out for the first time. And what if when our own imperfections come to light, we respond humbly and ask for forgiveness? People will recognize that there’s something extraordinary about us, providing an opportunity to share Jesus with others!

While imperfections may indeed ruin our picture-perfect image, they can also reveal that we live lives of grace, ever dependent on God’s grace…and that is truly a beautiful picture! 

GOING DEEPER:
1.  Are you living out God’s grace in your life? Today, will you take time to thank Him again for all He’s done for you?
2.  Do you hide your imperfections, or pretend they don’t exist? Today, will you ask God how to deal with them in a way that pleases and honors Him?

FURTHER READING:


Lisa has been married to Ted for 23 years and they have two sons in college. Lisa serves in Quest 56 on Sunday mornings at Oakwood.