Imperfect Hearts

Belle, our sweet 8 year old, made homemade Valentines for her classmates this year.

Which, don't get me wrong-I LOVE that about her-but you should understand that homemade

Valentines take MUCH longer to make than writing your name on a box of 23 cards.

But, that was ok, we had a plan and we were going to work our plan.

While I was at work Daddy was going to print off the saying she was going to glue to the hearts

she'd cut out, then when I got home we'd decorate the Twinkie's to look like Minions.

A little teamwork and we'd be go to go.

And we were.

Except I forgot to mention to Daddy that he might want to show her how to fold the paper in half to

cut the 'perfect' heart, instead of free handing them.


When I got home this is what I found

Adorable, right?

You know what I was having a hard time getting past? The imperfect heart.

She was so proud, they were almost done, so I didn't say anything.  

I've been thinking about those imperfect hearts though these past couple of days as the

world celebrates love and personally The Mailman and I celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary.

Two imperfect hearts.  Yep there's probably no better way to describe us.

Two broken kids (that's what we were at 20/23-CHILDREN I SAY -who let us out of the house??) 

carrying a lot of baggage  were either handed or packed ourselves.

About has imperfect as you can get.  But in the middle of ALL the imperfections we've found

love and a whole lotta grace there.

Perfect people don't either. We need more than our share.

So, today and tomorrow we celebrate our imperfect hearts made perfect by a loving and oh so patient

God.  

All the tears, fights, misunderstandings and hurt feelings. . .all the kisses, love and three beautiful 

babies, all the hospital stays, sleepless nights and fatigue, all the adventures and misadventures, the

wild nights and the quiet ones.  The laughter that outweighs the anger.  The tenacity to stick it out and 

hold on even when it would've been easier to let go. The love that gets better and grows deeper every

year.

Every time I think of Sis and those imperfect class Valentines, I'm going to think of my own

imperfect heart and how God took two broken imperfect kids and wrote them a love story where they

could only point back and give all the credit to Him.

And, if I may be so bold to offer a word of advice. . .stop waiting for the perfect valentine. . .whether 

you're married to yours and waiting to find them.  There's no such thing.  And the beauty, love and

overwhelming grace you find in the imperfections . . .well it's just about perfect this side of Heaven.

You are deeply and dearly loved,