How good God is to show us those things which free us more than we know.
----- Original Message -----
From: Phil Scovell <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2015 6:02 pm
Subject: Shortcut To Perfection
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> Shortcut To Perfection
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> By Phil Scovell
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> 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.
>
>
> Safe Place Fellowship
> Phil Scovell
> Denver, Colorado
> Mountain Time Zone
> WWW.SafePlaceFellowship.COM
>
> End Of Document
>
> Go To HOME: SafePlaceFellowship.com
As Always, Vicki
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