Finding the better half

"What makes life on this frightful sod so exquisite is God's merciful propensity to perform divine tasks amid deeply flawed people."
~ Beth Moore, LPM Blog ~


As a young wife and mother, I was under the delusion that men desire a Martha Stewart type existence. Creating a sanctuary at home for my husband was a duty I didn't always live up to. So one day I decided to work a little harder and killed myself making the house spotless, no easy task with little ones undoing everything I was attempting. I made his favorite meal and even saved the vacuuming for ten minutes before he got home to give the house that just cleaned feeling. I got a little excited anticipating his surprise. But when he walked in the door, he said nothing. NOTHING. He went through his normal routine, oblivious to all my hard work. I was puzzled at first, and then down right hurt.

As I laid awake that night, wondering what it was all about, it occurred to me he didn't say anything when toys were strewn about the living room or I asked him to bring home dinner or clean socks were hard to come by either. He has never looked around the house and said, "What have you done all day?" Home is not about how clean the tiolet is or if I've ironed his shirt or we have his favorite cereal. Home is about me and our family.

I tell you all that to illustrate how every flaw has an accompanying strength. While my husband may not always be very observant, he also does not put expectations on me. I know he loves ME, not what I do. The same patterns exist in my children, my family, my friends, myself. Every bad quality is balanced by something good. My child who saves everything to the last minute also goes with the flow, not getting too stressed about anything, never making demands on me. My daughter who can be a little bossy is self-motivated, not needing to be reminded of what she has to accomplish. My son who hates homework is nagged by his conscientiousness until he gets it done. My chatterbox lets me in on every aspect of her life. My tendency to overanalyze sometimes produces a good thought!

Is this how God uses our flaws, compensating for them by giving us an admirable strength? Have I been concentrating so hard on my weaknesses I have missed the good He's planted in me? Have I overlooked the life line He's been throwing? Have you? Can you see the flip side of your defects?

It's pure genius, Lord, tempering our imperfections with gifts! What brilliant design coupling our deficiencies to keep us humble with our abilities which enable us to press on. What beauty. And mercy. Thank You.

Go forth today, my friends, merciful enough to overlook the flaw, intent on finding the strength, both in others and yourself. Surely the beauty of the Lord is all around us.



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