--All Praise and Glory To Jesus ~~
---"To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved."
---[Ephesians 21:6/ NKJV] -- 
--Are we sure we want to do this?" Margi and I examined the paint sprayer one last time before committing. Rather than buying new furniture, we decided to just paint our old stuff. The experts at the paint store suggested the correct sprayer. My wife and I read the directions, poured in the paint, and prepared to spray Big blue tarps protected our driveway. Dark wooden dressers flanked by their drawers, stood in rows like soldiers, awaiting our amateur efforts.
"Once we start, we can't go back," I said.
Margi smiled. "Let's do it! It doesn't have to be perfect."
I gulped. Perfectionism lurks in the corners of my heart, always ready to pounce. The fear of making mistakes nags at me. It makes me question my worth. But Margi's encouragement was enough. With the rumble of an air compressor filling our ears, I triggered the sprayer.
It was working. Our freshly painted furniture actually looked good. The color was beautiful and the sheen was great, because--following the directions of experts at the paint store--we kept it wet. "Wet enough to shine, but not wet enough to run." After a few hours, everything was finished.
That's when I made a fatal mistake. I suggested another coat. "I'll make it a light mist." That light mist turned into a dull finish. I didn't keep it wet enough, and the shine was gone. So was the our energy, and so was my self-worth. Margi must have seen it in my eyes. "Don't worry, honey. It's still beautiful," she said. And it hit me--my worth before both God and those I love doesn't depend on me being perfect. It just depends on me allowing Jesus in me, He runs my life. ~
--"Lord God, You alone are perfect. Help me to be good with that. You are Complete Perfection, my Lord and Savior." ---Guideposts/ BG~~~~~~~
