Not perfect, yet perfect

Carmelita got some grocery shopping done the other day.  She brought home the yummiest apples. 

I tossed an apple in my lunch last week.  When I got to work, I put my apple on my desk.  I glanced over and my apple looked like the leaning tower of Pisa!  It was clear that this fruit had grown around some obstacle on the tree.  It didn't stand straight.  It wasn't the picture-perfect apple for the teacher.  While its color was vibrant and it looked fresh, it seemed to be a forlorn little fruit that didn't look like all the others.  I'm sure some might have cast it off as imperfect, but there was something to love about that Malus pumila!

Lunch time arrived and I bit into my sweet treat.   This was the most crisp apple I had ever bitten into!  Bite after bite make a loud crunchy sound.  As I bit into the fruit its juices would drip and spray.  My fingers became a sticky mess,  but I didn't care - every bite was a bit of apple heaven. 

As I got closer to the core I forgot all about Mr Fuji's crooked spine.  I lost sight of the fact that this apple wasn't perfect, because it was!  And then I got to thinking about how much we are like that sweet, sweet apple.

Many of us (Carmelita and me included) have had to overcome obstacles in our lives.  For some of us the obstacles were huge, for others they were just minor bumps in the road.  For most, we have had a mixture of the two and everything in between.  I can speak for myself when I say that often I am my own biggest obstacle!   But my little apple break taught me something that day.

No matter how broken, or damaged, or disfigured we become by life, what we give to the world can still be sweet.  In fact, I would argue to say, sweeter!   That little apple could have fallen from the tree when it had to grow around something, but it didn't.  It continued to grow in spite of a crooked core.  It matured and overcame the obstacle to provide me with nourishment (and this blog post!).

As is with us - we could just give up.  We could give in to life's difficulties.  But it is in the growing around the obstacles (note the key word GROWING), that our lives become sweeter, more crisp and with more to give to the world.

God's word addresses this in Romans 5:3-4:

³Not only so, but we^[a] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope.

What are your obstacles today?  How can you persevere and continue to grow in spite of them?  What sweet, sweet victory will it be when you do?  How much more will  you have to offer the world?    Sure, your "core" might look like this:

.... But your life will be sweeter and you will have HOPE to offer others. 

I'm sending Carmelita out for more apples.  After her nap. 

Where did you go, Carmelita?

I should be used to it by now, but sometimes our dear Carmelita just disappears.  Weeks go by and then she returns.  She's just not reliable.  

So much has happened since my last post.  I guess I've disappeared for a bit, too.  I guess I "get" Carmelita in that way - sometimes you just veer off course and neglect your duties.   That isn't always a bad thing.

These past few weeks have given me the opportunity to see God at work in amazing ways.   I have witnessed a miracle!  A true miracle!  Not the kind like getting a ticket to a sold out concert or having the bank tell you the mistake was theirs.  I'm talking there's no way to explain it other than God worked a miracle! 

You see, my girlfriend was told at 27 weeks into her pregnancy that her unborn son's brain had stopped developing somewhere around 20 weeks of age.  His prognosis was extremely dire - he wasn't expected to live more than a few minutes after birth.   A C-section was scheduled for September 29, 2010.  The operating room was filled with doctors and specialists and extra staff.   At 11:04am, Carson came into the world and let out a lusty cry that wasn't expected!  Today, 12 days later, he is at home with his family.  While his future is uncertain, the 12 days of life are a pure miracle for a baby whose physical condition indicated he would die within minutes of birth.  When I get the privilege of holding him I am in awe of what God has done!  Some say "the doctors must have been wrong", but tests after his birth confirm that his brain is not complete - one half is non-existent.  Doctors were right, he should not be alive and as well as he is.  But God makes miracles happen! 

Love you baby Carson! 

His little life has put so much into perspective for me.  I weigh so much against the fact that my friend was expecting to bury her baby by now, yet she has been given unexpected time with him.  Who am I then, to complain about the job I have that provides my family with insurance, or about 5 pounds that have seemed to have crept back into my life?  Do I really need to be so sad that part of my family lives so far away, when my friend doesn't know if her baby will still be here tomorrow?  Little Carson has helped me to treasure all I have been given, to keep things in proper perspective and to cherish every moment of life as a gift.   And he is only 12 days old!  Whether his life ends up being short or long, I truly believe he has already filled a Godly purpose here on earth.    What a miracle. 

Have you discovered your purpose?  Do you know why you're here? 

Years ago I had an opportunity to write my personal mission statement:

• "To encourage and inspire others to seek and know the Truth, and to delight in the Joy of knowing the Lord"

This has become the compass by which I work to direct my life.  When opportunities arise for me, I gauge whether it fits with my mission before saying "yes".   And sometimes, it is clear something is a "no" when I weigh it against my statement.   There are times when I neglect to think about this and that is usually when I end up over-committed and overwhelmed with life.  

Carmelita would do well to have a mission statement! Maybe then my dishes would always be done and the house would be tidy all the time! :)