Perfection

The following is another "post" I copied from my daughter's hospital CarePage (www.carepages.com AshleyHendrick). I originally wrote this last December, but was reminded of it today while thinking about how so many in the world view my daughter and other children like her. I hope these words make sense to you...

Last night at our church’s annual Christmas concert a friend was playing a beautifully arranged piano solo when the unthinkable happened…she made a mistake. As she tried to turn the page of her sheet music at a particularly moving part of the piece she was playing, the page wouldn’t turn, and the flow of the song was disrupted. Up until that point the performance had been flawless, but once the mistake was made, perfection was lost, and there was no going back.

Would you believe me if I told you that it was in my friend’s mistake and subsequent playing that I was able to find complete beauty in the music? Somehow it was the flaw in her performance that made the music come to life for me, and in that transformation I was able to fully appreciate its complexity and beauty.

My friend’s mistake at the piano last night reminded me of the annual Christmas party for “cancer club” families that we attend each year at the museum. The party was held last week and as always, we had a great time seeing and talking with our friends from DeVos. While we were at this party, I was once again reminded of all of the children who have fought or our currently fighting cancer. For most of these children, the results of their battle are very visible. Some like Ashley have lost a limb in their fight to survive; others remain hairless as a result of recent chemo therapy or radiation treatments. Many have scars from surgical procedures, or are pale in color from the effects of their illness.

From a worldly perspective, I suppose it would be true to say that Ashley and the children we were with last week are imperfect. They have physical "flaws" that make them something other than what our culture holds up as beautiful or desirable. From Christ’s perspective though, I think that these children give us examples of what true perfection really is, or at least a reminder of what it is not.

It is through our flaws that we are reminded of our need to rely on God. It is through our weaknesses that we become humble. It is through our losses that we learn how much we have. It is through our imperfections that we can relate to those who are also broken and hurting.

As I listened to my friend play the piano last night I wondered if others were able to appreciate the beauty that came out of the imperfection that occurred, or if for them it was nothing more than a mistake from what was supposed to be. I feel sorry for those who believe that imperfections take away from the value of a performance, or more importantly…from the value of a person.

I love to be around these children who so many would see as imperfect. It is my belief that through their “imperfections”, they have been drawn closer to God and that because of their scars they are now able to be used even more by Him. I wish that everyone could hear this music and see these children for what they truly are. They are beautiful and blessed gifts from God, and in His eyes they are perfect. Thanks for the song Janine.