“Learn to delight in imperfect gifts.”

A thought by John Ortberg (2015-05-05) from his book, Life-Changing Love: Moving God's Love from Your Head to Your Heart (p. 108). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Do realize one of the main differences between us and God is this fact? I mean if the food isn’t perfect, we gripe. What about the music at church or even the Pastor’s message? It is so easy for us to pick at it and not be grateful. What about our house, our car, our job, our wife/husband, our kids or our body?

John says, “I must learn to be grateful for all the ‘slightly imperfect’ gifts in my life. If I withhold my gratitude in hopes of receiving the perfect spouse, child, body, or birthday present, I will never be grateful at all.” Do you realize that? “I will never be grateful at all.”

But he then says, “God himself chooses to delight in imperfect gifts — in you and me. Even though our hearts are flawed and shadowed, even though we give them tentatively and with mixed motives, he receives them with unspeakable joy. Heaven itself rejoices at the gift of one repentant sinner’s heart.”

No we aren’t perfect but he loved us so much that he gave his perfect son as a sacrifice for imperfect us. So maybe we need to get off our demand for perfection and give love and mercy and grace and gratitude just like he does for us.

Let’s learn to delight in imperfect gifts.

So how grateful will we be today?

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