Imperfection

 We made our first batch of strawberry jam for the year this past Saturday. 

I love making jam. Fresh, local fruit preserved in sugary goodness. We've been "jamming" and processing fruits for over a decade now, I think, and we've only had one batch that went bad due to the lids popping open after they were sealed and stored (had to be a manufacturer's defect).

I say that because that shows how practiced my girls and I have become. We have learned much. Even so, we still are prone to imperfections.

This weekend, the imperfection was caused by my attempt to use fewer dishes and impatience. I used the immersion blender to puree the fruit (not a time saver, but fewer dishes) then became impatient when it was time to skim the bubbles/froth off the top.

The results? Three beautiful jars full of jam, and one jar that's obviously imperfect. Will the jam still set and taste good? Most likely. But, I now have a jar that I cannot give away.

Now, I could take pictures of the jars at the perfect angles and brag on how wonderfully everything went. I could beat myself up over the mistake and become frustrated.

What I should do it be thankful that I have three good jars and simply enjoy the ugly one with my family.

Because, imperfect does not mean trash.

Imperfect isn't unusable.

God created humans perfect in the beginning, but since we sinned, we became imperfect.

God still uses us. He still finds it a pleasure to fellowship with us.

God still loves us. Better yet, God loved us and showed His great love when we were as unusable as a piece of trash. Romans 5:8

So we also have a choice. We are imperfect. Do we wallow in our imperfections, our struggles, or do we purpose in our hearts and minds to do our best to follow Jesus Christ.

 Romans 6:12-18

 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
  13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
  14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
  15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
  16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
  17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
  18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

God bless, my friends. Fight the good fight, keep looking toward the end goal, the prize of Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. When we keep our eyes on Him, He will show us the way - for He is the Way.

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