It’s Perfect
by Jamison Brown
The neighborhood was buzzing as adventurous children turned snowy streets and hillsides into icy playgrounds. Golf carts and even dogs pulled makeshift sleds with gleeful passengers aboard. And Leah, bundled up like a miniature marshmallow in her puffy coat, wasted no time diving into the magic.
Her mission? Build the perfect snowman.
Now, Leah’s version of “perfect” might not line up with most Pinterest boards. The snowman’s base leaned like it was halfway through a yoga pose. The twig arms looked more like leftovers from a campfire than proper limbs. The face—fashioned from mismatched bottle caps and buttons—beamed with a lopsided grin. It wasn’t tall, symmetrical, or polished. But to Leah? It didn’t matter.
“It’s perfect!” she announced, as she gently supported her slumping masterpiece.
Leah didn’t care about precision or symmetry. What she saw was something she had created with joy, determination, and just enough snow to hold it all together.
Watching her, I couldn’t help but think: Why don’t we see the world that way more often?
Most of us have a hard time looking past imperfections—our own or anyone else’s. We get so caught up in what’s wrong that we forget to appreciate what’s there.
But God doesn’t see us that way.
He looks at us and doesn’t focus on the crooked parts or the pieces we think don’t measure up. He doesn’t demand perfection. Instead, He sees His creation. He sees the effort, the love, and the heart we pour into life, and He calls it good. He calls us good. Not because we’re flawless, but because we’re His.
And maybe that’s what we need to remember. Perfect doesn’t mean flawless—it means cherished. It means being seen through eyes of love.
The greatest gift we can give—to ourselves and others—is the grace to look past the imperfections and declare, “It’s perfect,” simply because we are called to love as God loves us.
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
— 1 Samuel 16:7
Comments(5)
Sue Jones says:
January 30, 2025 at 7:15 amI always admired our toddler’s preschool teachers for allowing imperfect ‘puppy faces’ on paper plates. Without correction gave our children confidence and pride.
Eleanor says:
January 30, 2025 at 9:29 amA wonderful reminder that true perfection is found in love, not flawlessness. Just as God sees us—as His cherished creation.
Jon Hauerwas says:
January 30, 2025 at 9:57 amJim, Well done. Matthew’s Gospel places the following words on Jesus’ lips: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt: 5:48) As is true with many scriptures, this one has often been misinterpreted. Perfection, in this context, is not to be understood in the Greek sense of absolute moral perfection, an impossible ideal for human beings to attain. Rather, to be perfect is to serve God wholeheartedly. Whatever our age, when our chief aim is to glorify God, then we are “pure in heart” and well on our way to embracing the vision that Christ offers – even when we falter.
Jane says:
February 1, 2025 at 2:34 pmAcceptance without perfection is a wonderful thought. That thought lifts a huge burden off our shoulders. Each day I need to remember that the good Lord will do just that if I ask and keep Him in my heart.
Dick Higgins says:
February 2, 2025 at 11:07 amJim – This set me to do a lot of thinking as to how I look at things. Excellent!!