2:30…make that 3:30…er, 4:00…’ish….  a perfectly imperfect start to today’s walk.  The target?  The wall of Perfectionism.

Perfectionism has some intriguing side effects.  For some, it creates a monster that must judge itself and others harshly for falling short of the goal – a demanding insatiable taskmaster that produces formidable warriors.  For others, it’s rather like the sand-bottom clown phenomenon, where every return to the upright position is met with another perfect punch, until finally the person learns that it’s safer to stay down.

Let’s review some of the greatest of the great for a moment…  the ones God used mightily, and just a few of those who have given us giant leaps forward in the lives we find so normal today…

• Edison, who in search of the perfect lighting found over 9,000 options that didn’t work, before he found one that did
• Abraham, who agreed to a plan that we’re still suffering the results of, yet is the forefather of the nation that gave us Jesus, our Savior
• Lincoln, who had 12 major losses before becoming one of America’s most beloved presidents
• Moses, who begged to be excused from the role of spokesman because he couldn’t speak well, then was used to lead the Israelites out of slavery, for the next 40 years, and is credited with writing the first 5 books of the Judeo-Christian scriptures
• Beethoven, who was declared by his early music professors as hopeless in his quest to compose music (and, btw, he was deaf – how’s that for a musical challenge?)
• Peter, who kept sticking his foot in his mouth, occasionally up to his kneecaps, yet was instrumental in the establishment of the faith we call Christianity
• Bill Gates, who dropped out of Harvard University before becoming a household name
• David, who skipped out on war season and ended up topping adultery with murder, yet retains the title “man after God’s own heart”, and gave us some of the most wonderful scriptures and songs for entering worship and finding comfort
• Michael Jordan, who was dismissed from his HS basketball team for lack of skill, before becoming the name in basketball

There are more. And, which general do you know that would deign to conquer a city by simply marching around it’s high & perfectly impenetrable walls?  Other than, of course, God and Joshua, only one of which is known to be perfect.

Tomorrow’s wall: Limited Opportunities