FOOD
FOR THOUGHT
(08/31/2008)
ISH
Cindy Hong
Just the
other day a friend introduced the book Ish to me. The story
is about a little boy named Ramon who loves to draw, “Anytime. Anything.
Anywhere.” Even on the toilet. But when older brother laughs at his
drawings because they don't look like the real thing, he gets dejected,
crumbles them all up, and tosses them in the trash. Unbeknownst to him,
little sister saves and savors them, hanging them up on her wall. When
he finds out he protests that his drawings do not look like a vase or
a tree, but sis says that it looks “vase-ish” and “tree-ish.”
As the story concludes, one could almost sense a sacred shift occurring
in Ramon: it is less important that his vase be a perfect replica; it
is more important that he continues to draw, practice, and create “ish
art.”
As a kid I remember thinking after I had been bad there was no way Jesus
would want to continue living in my heart. So Saturday nights found me
confessing my sins for the week and re-asking Him into my heart so that
I would be clean for Sunday morning. Later I realized I didn't have to
keeping asking Jesus into my heart; I just needed to confess and ask for
forgiveness. By then I thought God wanted perfection, so I kept delaying
baptism until I was good enough for dipping. Even now after doing something
bad or sinning against God, I wish I could take it back, crumble it, and
throw it in the trash can. Yet somehow God can still use it for good,
to teach me something or remind me that He is bigger than whatever I'm
fixated on. He takes the drawings and snapshots of our past, saves them,
and loves us in spite of them. Thankfully Christ isn't looking for perfect
followers (otherwise He'd still be looking for his first disciple!). But
like Peter and Matthew and Thomas, we can be more Christ-ish each day,
be more mindful-ish of the things of God, be a little more loving-ish
and compassionate-ish and kind-ish. We'll never be perfect this
side of heaven, but perhaps we can still look more and more disciple-ish
each day.
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