There’s a spot on the carpet.  There’s a “ding” on your car door.  There’s a scratch on your sunglasses.  There’s a dead spot in the lawn.  There’s a stain on your shirt.

Marni and I say the phrase “spot on the carpet” as a code to each other.  The code means a couple things:  (1) Nothing’s ever perfect.  (2) Keep your eyes on the important things.  (3) “All things seen are temporary, and all things unseen are eternal.”  2 Cor. 4:18

Strive to put the imperfection into the “temporary” category they deserve to be in.  Keep the main thing the main thing.

Looking a bit deeper into the imperfections:

• Carpet stain may have come from having lots of kids over.  Be grateful you have a kid, your kid has friends, you have a home to have people into, and you had something to share that would even cause a stain!

• The “ding” on the car came from a really crowded parking lot of a friend’s memorial service.  There were hundreds gathered to celebrate a life that seemingly ended too early.

• The scratch on your sunglasses came from a family walk.  You were all laughing and walking to yogurt.  The boys were actually enjoying each other.  There was a sense that it was a sacred moment.  The glasses were dropped by accident – don’t ruin the moment.

• Lawn spot?  How about a lawn that is used like crazy by kids, by friends, and by a dog.  The spot probably appeared from the dog, the dog I fought on the front-end, and now has provided more joy than I’d imagined was possible.  The lawn spot would have really agitated me 5 years ago – and now, well, I put into life’s bigger perspective.

• The stain on the shirt?  Ever tried to drink coffee and coach a 6 year old soccer team?  I am so grateful to be able to have the chance to participate in coaching this team.  I could go on why this is such a huge blessing to me . . . but suffice to say, I can live with the stain.

How about you?  What would you put down on the list for the things that show the daily imperfections around your life?

Maybe they are not as big as you think.

Eric