Do Not Be Satisfied With Almost

Job 1:6

"One day as the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan, the Adversary, came with them." The Living Bible

He quickly reached for a napkin and spit the whole thing out!  I was a bit surprised  at his quick and definitive action.  It was our annual Christmas cookie bake and we'd made a batch of Grandma's Snowballs.  We knew we couldn't make them as well as Grandma but I've prided myself as coming close.  This time the cookies were more than a bit off. We needed another opinion.  So the grandson was called in.  He proclaimed them "not even close" and didn't waste the calories trying to swallow the sample.

Today's blog comes with a disclaimer.  The subject verse comes from the biblical book which wrestles with sin, tragedy and evil.  Theologians and humans have argued the perspectives presented for centuries and I don't plan to present any new opinions today.

Today I don't claim to offer any comfort to those experiencing very real Job-sized loss, suffering and grief.  I also don't suggest that Job was a failure which caused the circumstances described in the Book of Job.

My thoughts today begin with the first two words of this verse, "one day..."  One day made me think of "Once upon a time."  Too often we chase a fairy tale life.  Too often, it just doesn't happen.  We settle for the world's sad imitation of perfection, forgetting from where perfect comes.

Occasionally life is not a fairy tale because of my failure.  I'd become too comfortable with my baking skills and failed not on just batch number one of Grandma's Snowballs.  Batch number 2 was even worse-no need to even taste them. They went immediately to the trash.

Here's what I learned, one day, making cookies:  Sometimes I create the mishap.

One day, my perfect cookie failed because it was not the right time.  Batch number 1 was undercooked.  I'd rushed the batch or I could blame the unfamiliar oven. I could microwave them to create the allusion of perfection, but there was no improvement in quality.  End result the same, destination trash!  How many times have I been disappointed because my timeline didn't correlate with God's timeline?

One day, my perfect cookie failed because I didn't follow the recipe.  I didn't measure the flour correctly.  Same destination, trash.  How many times have I been disappointed because I followed my own instructions rather than God's simple instructions?

Never will I achieve the perfect Grandma 's Snowball.  I've admitted that I only offer "my imitation" of Grandma's Snowballs, a mere reflection of her Snowballs. This is where the cookie analogy separates from the spiritual.  I'm not Grandma.  I won't be able to reenact her Snowballs. I am not God.  God has such a better control of the world.  The world I try to create is not even a mere reflection.

ONE DAY I will have the  perfect day:  when Jesus comes for me and I change my address to "Heaven".

At the expense of a couple of pounds of chocolate chips, I learned to

be conscientious to follow the instructions,

lay my pride aside,

embrace my failure acknowledging that no about of fixing will lead to perfection and

resolve to look forward to the future knowing that God does have that perfect day waiting for me.

The world can't give me ONE DAY of my heart's desire;  I can't create the ONE DAY;  Only God has my ONE DAY waiting for me.

Do Not Be Satisfied with Almost...

ONE DAY Awaits