– Monday Muse –
Dear One, recently I was in a conversation with perhaps a half-a-dozen people, when after making a rather strong statement, I saw myself, in the reflection of my dear friend’s eyes, tumbling to the ground.
I was not hurt. Nope. I just felt so very sorry for my friend for I had obviously disappointed her. I was familiar with the experience. I had yet to forget the day, long, long ago, when an older friend of mine had in my eyes tumbled to the ground in the very same manner.
At that time, I had my older friend placed on a beautiful and secure pedestal. I regarded her as perfect…PERFECT. I could always count on her exemplary example. She had never let me down. That was, until the day, that she did. I can still remember the pain of it. My friend wasn’t perfect. I felt crushed and disillusioned.
It wasn’t long after my friend’s disappointing topple that our pastor, who was also perfect, preached about the ‘Pedestal.’ He warned all of us congregants to never be so unkind as to put him on one. “Do not do that to anyone.”
Unkind? I wondered. What’s unkind about it?
He said that it was unfair to place impossible ‘pedestal type’ expectations on any human being. “For what is Man, apart from Christ? He is a sinner. Scripture even says that he is evil. Only God the Father, God the Son, and the Indwelling Holy Spirit is worthy of such a position.”
It was then that I realized I was responsible for my disappointment in my friend. My expectation was unfairly placed.
While the pastor elaborated, I remembered, as a young girl, thinking that my grandmother was perfect. At that time, whenever a preacher mentioned that no one was perfect but Jesus, no not one, I would think the preacher doesn’t know my grandma. Perhaps, for that reason, my mother chose to tell me that Grandma, at the age of sixteen, had to get married because she was expecting a baby. Surprisingly, my mother’s secret did not faze me. I simply thought, Grandma had to sin at least once for God says no one is perfect. I know…crazy thinking, but such thinking from a naive granddaughter certainly honored a precious lady.
The pastor was an excellent preacher, and as an excellent preacher was a good teacher. After that teaching on the topic of pedestals, whenever I caught myself trying to give someone a leg up to the top of one, I stopped short of doing it. It just wasn’t fair to do that to anyone but God, and He certainly did not need help with a leg up.
As far as me disappointing my friend, I know that she will get over it. For she is almost perfect, and most likely has already forgiven me for not being.
“Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another;
if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ
forgave you, so you also must do.” Colossians 3:13
Blessings,
Susanne
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