One of the things that will stop traffic in Cades Cove quicker than a funeral procession in Alabama is when someone spots some wildlife. As you stop and look at bears, deer, or whatever else may wander up, it’s hard to take it all in. You have a beautiful creation in one of the most beautiful places on earth. But some folks…only notice that the fence is a little crooked.
One thing I’ve learned in the banking business is that there are certain things…that just have to be absolutely correct. Title work and deeds really don’t function under the “that’s close enough” principle. Tattoo artists need to spell better than I do. Pregnancy test manufacturers need to be precise. The accuracy of a pregnancy test matters…don’t look for the ones on sale.
As a kid, I was fascinated by a thing I saw at our local police department. It was a trailer that had what looked like a concrete barrel on it. I had to find out what it was. Someone told me it was used by the bomb squad to blow up bombs. Shock and awe are overused, but that sums up my feelings at the time. Someone got paid to blow up bombs…and I was a little excited that there was the possibility of bombs in my quiet little town. BTW, the official term for this device is an EOD…explosive ordnance disposal trailer. Sounds better than a bomb blower upper.
Bomb squads, tattoo artists, and some bankers need to be precise. But you could also lump into that crew barbers and brake mechanics. A barber doesn’t get much room for error. Lop off half an eyebrow, and people will think you’re surprised for the next six weeks. A brake mechanic doesn’t get much room for creative interpretation. Your family, not to mention your life insurance agent, would prefer he get it right the first time.
Some things just have to be right.
But think with me a moment about some other things that don’t have to be perfect. For instance, the guy who sings the national anthem at the local dirt track can be given some grace for missing a note or twelve. The assistant principal at a local graduation who struggles with pronouncing the names of kids whose parents mispronounce their names. The lady at the local grocery store deli will still be appreciated if every biscuit doesn’t look the same. They still taste good with enough gravy.
Sadly though, we tend to spot faults quicker than we do perfection in things that are well done. Take, for instance, an old wire fence. Someone dug and fussed and sweated and set hundreds of posts that will be in place until the rapture…but the one that is noticed is the one that is just a little bit crooked. We can ride for miles and not really even notice the fence until we see a flaw.
We can do this with people as well. We are quick to pick up on some flaw or failure and ignore years of faithful living. Sometimes that one little flaw makes us look at them differently.
We don’t just focus on the flaws in others; we can do the same thing when we look at ourselves. We see all the things that are broken, flawed, and lacking. We aren’t handsome enough, young enough, smart enough, or rich enough.
One flaw causes us to overlook a lifetime of good.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we pretend that the things that are wrong are right. But we also need to look at the flaws in others, and in ourselves, with mercy, grace, and humility.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke about looking at a brother who had a tiny splinter in his eye and telling him he should do something about it…while we have a huge beam of wood in our eye but don’t see a problem with it.
The next time you’re out riding, look at those old fences. Some of the posts are crooked and bent, but they’re still doing what they were put there to do.
God has been merciful to you. Extend mercy. God has shown you undeserved grace. Extend grace to others.
Look beyond the crooked fence post.
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