Flaws and All

Like a'll yall, I sometimes have theological discussions at Starbucks.  In the drive-thru lane.

'Cause that's how I roll.

And (sadly) I'm not joking.  And since Starbucks is trying to sucker people in by offering half priced drinks if you show your receipt from the morning, and since I have an addiction to a certain drink that will soon require an intervention, I've been there lately.  A LOT.

Last week I was getting some caffeine for the drive home (because working 15 hours a day will flat wear you out), but I had on my sunglasses.  And the super trendy barista commented on how she really liked them.  

When people comment on them, it always brings a smile to my face, because my favorite author gave to me.  (Why she gave them to me is another post, but I'm getting off task here, but at least it's taken me a couple of sentences.)  These shades are a few years old and have on them.  Throughout the years the years, a few of the rhinestones have come off.  But that doesn't deter me in my quest to look as queenly as possible why keeping UVA rays from my irises.

So I start telling her the story about how my favorite author gave them to me, and how I love them, even though they are missing a couple of rhinestones.  And the barista looks at me and says, "You know, I think that makes them look even more beautiful.  There's this new age idea, I think it comes from Japan, that talks about how some crystals or prisms are worth even more because of their flaws."  And we got to talking about how the flaws are really things that ought to be more readily embraced, then shunned.

Which brings me to God.  And how He has without hesitation accepted us.  And because He is a God who is known to be extravagant and good, He will often take those very same flaws and use them for the greater good.  Take for example:

• Peter:  wildly impulsive (remember he was the one who cut off a guard's ear?)  God took that fiery passion and love for Him, and used it to help build the first century church.  Peter kept that same "flaw" (being impulsive, caring too much) and God harnessed it.  Peter preached the Gosepl and healed the sick.  God used his flaws in a major way.
• And speaking of healing, remember the story of Jesus and the blind man? Popular talk around the town was if something bad happened, you'd done something to deserve it.  But Jesus took this man's flaw and we still read about it.  If you keep reading, you see how this man put some of the religious know it alls in their place.  And at the end of the story, he calls Jesus, "Master" and worships him.
• And while we're on the subject of worship, we can't help but talk about David.  Bless his heart.  And David did have a flaw or two (adultery, trying to cover up his adultery, then sending a man to the front line to have the man killed so he could marry his baby mama), but despite all that, the Lord loved him and used him.  One of my favorite passages is written by him.  David was the original worship leader. 

And as a Christian, it encourages me to know that God embraces these people and still uses them, flaws and all.  He doesn't stop trying to shape them and make them into the best they can be, but he doesn't throw up his hands in exasperation and say, "That's it! I'm finished!!"  And that gives my soul some peace. 

So the next time I'm having a theological discussion with a barista at Starbucks (and y'all, it's just a matter of time), we'll talk about how this idea of embracing flaws is not New Age.  It's actually Old School.