November, 2009
Dear Friends,
"They say that nobody is perfect. Then, they tell you 'practice makes perfect'. I wish they'd make up their minds."
- Sir Winston Churchill
Recently, a young Christian intern expressed a longing to be a "perfect Christian". I questioned what such a person would look like, or whether in history one ever existed. I lent the assurance that the word itself, when used in scripture of people, describes something flawed but mended. The conversation caused me to picture a Persian carpet that, in my mind, comes most completely to Perfect.
A very long time ago, during long migrations from one region of the Persian Empire to another, various tribes worked together to create stunningly colorful, perfectly structured carpets that told the story of their travels and their tribulations.
Honestly, these carpets are very nearly perfect. That is, they might have been considered perfect because so careful was the construction, the design, and the skills employed. The Persians were convinced that only God is perfect. They knew that the pursuit of perfection, here, among faulty human beings only leads to frustration. They intentionally placed flaws in the design. They did not strive for what is impossible. Perfection simply doesn’t fit us. The pursuit of it can only lead to disappointment – in ourselves or sadly, in others.
So, we at REACH celebrate the concept of the 'Persian Flaw'. Along side the lives of children who suffer, we weave in our interns, volunteers, staff, all whom are ready to help them and their families. We know quite well that our work, our efforts, all fall short of perfection. Yet we celebrate the deliberate and beautiful design presenting itself after these 13 years of careful attention to our purpose and call.
Continuing our dream,
Susan K. Slonaker
P.S. As we strive to meet our year-end fundraising objective, would you prayerfully consider helping to meet our goals with a gift in addition to your monthly giving? We gratefully accept your donations through the United Way, through matching gifts at your workplace, or the Combined Funds Drive, REACH charity code #1478845 and online.