Hello Phil,
Boy am I a long way from being perfect.
That old ddevil sure does lie to us too.
Thanks for sharing with us.
Virgie and Hoshi
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 4:15 PM
Subject: Short Cut To Perfection


> Shortcut To Perfection
>
>
> By Phil Scovell
>
>
>
>
>
>     I lived about four blocks from the elementary school I
> attended.  I well remember every square inch of that neighborhood
> and it was a wonderful place in which to grow up as a child.  I
> lived in Des Moines, Iowa until I was about twelve and then we
> moved to Omaha, Nebraska.
>
>     My first week of kindergarten was exciting and a little scary
> at the same time.  My mom walked me to school that first day, as
> most mothers did with their little four, five, and six year old
> children starting school for the first time.
>
>     During that first week, mom explained to me that she would
> walk with me but each day she would stop short of walking the
> entire distance with me and let me walk the rest of the way by
> myself.  This, she explained, would help me get used to it.  I was
> a little nervous, you might say, about walking alone and I didn't
> like the thought of leaving my mother either but I knew it had to
> be done.  After all, I was a big boy now because I was in school.
>
>     The second day, she walked all the way to the school grounds
> and let me walk the half a block to where my school entrance was
> for the kindergarten students.
>
>     the third day, we walked the first two block together because
> they were not divided by a cross street.  At the end of that first
> corner, mom encouraged me to finish the rest on my own.  She
> promised to stay at the corner so I could see her, if I turned to
> look, and that way she would make sure I arrived safely on the
> school grounds.  This was back before children were kidnapped.
> Now we jail such perpetrators, if they are caught, and then we let
> them out into society again two or three years later so they can
> do it all over again.
>
>     I well remember, turning around and looking around two or
> three times to see if mom was still on the corner, as I made my
> way down the remaining two blocks to school.  She was always
> there.  Fortunately, the school property could be seen clearly
> from the corner where mom stood but it was comforting to be able
> to turn and see her smiling and standing there watching.
>
>     On the fourth day, she walked about half way down those first
> two blocks.  Now, when I rounded the corner, I could no longer see
> her but I knew where she was and I made it without any trouble.
>
>     Finally, by week's end, I was walking the entire distance
> from home by myself without fear or reluctance.
>
>     Over the years, I walked every conceivable route to and from
> school.  When I was a little older, I gained courage enough to
> take a shorter way home by cutting through a back street and then
> snaking my way through backyards.  At times, I even went home for
> lunch.  I would run all the way, taking the shortcut, climbing and
> jumping a tall fence, eating lunch at home, and then running back
> to school in plenty of time to play on the large playground with
> my friends.
>
>     This childhood memory, along with two others, recently began
> surfacing.  The three memories seemed to be a boxed set.  The
> interesting aspect of the three memories, or the thing they all
> had in common, were that they were all good memories.  I am so
> used to going to bad memories, or painful memories, where healing
> by the Lord Jesus Christ needs to be done, both in my personal
> life and those with whom I pray, that I was stumped as to why
> these good memories were surfacing.  Sure, I had seen these
> pleasant memories hundreds of times over the years but as these
> came to mind, they seemed to stay, almost fixed, in my memory.  It
> was this memory, however, that seem to have a little discomfort in
> it so I began praying and asking the Lord about it.
>
>     He said, "How did you feel in the memory?"
>
>     I felt alone and said as much.
>
>     "What else did you feel?" the Holy Spirit asked.
>
>     I stared at the little 5 year old boy walking down those two
> long blocks alone and looking back occasionally to see if his mom
> was still there.  Loneliness wasn't really what I felt.  Then what
> was it?  I watched myself carefully in the memory and realized
> that I wasn't in danger and that my mom was just a few yards
> behind me.  Then it hit me and I said, "I felt like I should have
> not been afraid and able to walk to school on my own."
>
>     It was almost as if I could hear the Lord chuckle.  He said,
> "Phil, you don't have to be perfect because I am."
>
>     This statement was so powerful, I had to stop and think about
> it for awhile.  Yes, I knew Jesus was perfect but why this truth
> in this memory He was letting me recall?  Because something told
> me I should have been better; I should have been perfect; I
> shouldn't have been afraid.  Yet, Jesus said, "You don't have to
> be perfect because I am."  I felt the reality of this statement of
> truth and felt myself smiling inside.  It was true.  I did not
> need to be perfect because my Lord and Savior was perfect in my
> behalf.
>
>     I am not a perfectionist by any means but I often pray with
> those who are.  For those who are Born Again Christians, this
> kicks perfectionism right in the head.  So stop and think about it
> for a moment and if you still have trouble with your
> perfectionism getting in your way, call me and let's find out the
> truth which Jesus has for you.
>
>
> Victory Isn't Something You Have; It Is Who You Are.
> www.SafePlaceFellowship.com