One of my favorite movies as a child (who am I kidding – it’s still a favorite) was Mary Poppins. I love everything about Mary Poppins. When she first comes to the Banks home she pulls out a measuring tape and measures Jane and Michael, but it’s a strange tape in that it doesn’t give their height as expected. When the children ask her to measure herself she obliges and then reads, “Mary Poppins – practically perfect in every way.” Ah, perfection! Who doesn’t want to be perfect?
I’ve discovered over the years that I’m no Mary Poppins – for one my love of children doesn’t even begin to reach hers – and two I’m simply not perfect in any way nor have I perfected any one skill. I’m a slightly above average singer but I hit as many wrong notes as I do right ones so I would hardly call that perfection. I’m a pretty good speaker and communicator, but with this same mouth I say horrible, sarcastic things so I can’t say that I’m perfect at that either. The book of James says, “If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man.” All of this leads me to believe that I am in no way perfect.
And yet I frequently hear that God has the perfect person for me. Really? I mean don’t get me wrong I’m delighted, humbled really, that God would choose to create a perfect person and then pair him up with such an imperfect person like myself, but I find it a little hard to believe. Now before you start saying something along the lines of – no one’s perfect we mean perfect for you - I’m going to need to further address a few things. First of all, what does that mean perfect for me? Perfect for me today means someone that meets all my qualifications of tax accountant, bag packer, trash taker outer, and chef. But tomorrow none of those things would be helpful to me and would no longer make that person “perfect for me.” Secondly, perfect for me makes me wonder what I am to him? I’ve already established that I’m not perfect so can I really expect that when I take all my imperfections and put them together that I’m now completely perfect for someone else? This seems unlikely. And lastly, if God’s going to all the trouble to make perfect people why couldn’t He just work a little harder on making me perfect rather than bringing perfect people into my life?
You see, I’m just not buying this perfect person bit. Like I said before I’m delighted that God is making such a person just for me and I can appreciate that He’s just putting the finishing touches on him (although really how long does that take?). I can even be thankful that God’s been hiding him away like David looking after sheep so that in His timing he can be brought forth as King of my home. (Yep, you sound just as stupid when you say these things to single people.) Yet at some point I just have to stop and say – what the heck are you people talking about? Perfection? You’re making this up!! Think about it. Do you actually know any perfect people? My guess is no. And yet as I read through the relationship status updates on Facebook and see people become single again I find that this platitude of, “Don’t worry. God has the perfect person for you out there,” is used time and time again. So obviously you are taking this by faith – you’ve never met a perfect person but you are still hoping there is one and that he will be the answer to your poor single friend’s quest for true love. Your faith is to be applauded, I suppose.
I’m not going for perfection. At 32 I’m just going for good enough. I’m not perfect and I think it’s a little unrealistic to think that someone else will be. So I think I will stop trying to find perfection in a person and rather focus on Jesus – the perfecter of my faith. This sounds like something I can do. I can keep my eyes on Jesus who does in fact have a perfect plan for my life. It’s a plan that has lots of twists and turns and to my way of thinking a lot of unaccounted for obstacles but it’s an incredible path and journey that in the end leads to perfection – Jesus. I didn’t expect the perfect plan to include being single (and if I weren’t typing then I’d cross my fingers that this isn’t the forever plan but it’s so hard to type with crossed fingers), but I’m okay with this plan if it keeps getting me closer to Jesus.
Bottom line: I’m not perfect, neither are you or your spouse – lovely as he/she is. God may have perfection out there somewhere for your life but it might not come in the way of a person. It might come in the way of a calling, a friendship, or an artfully crafted meal. So the next time a friends status changes from relationship to single try saying something remotely helpful like – That sucks (cause let’s be real – it does), but God’s perfect plan is still being worked out in your life.
