Almost Perfect

What do you expect from God? What are your expectations of God in your life? In the world? What are your expectations of the church? What are the criteria by which you judge the church’s role in your life? In the community? What are your expectations of your own life? What do you expect to get out of life? Expectations. Our expectations, our pre-conceived expectations, play a huge role in our lives, coloring our perspective, affecting the choices we make. Expectations.

I quoted a poem by Shel Silverstein a few weeks ago. Here’s another. It’s about a woman with expectations. Her name is Miss Mary Hume. Mary Hume approaches life with very clear expectations.

"Almost perfect… but not quite."
Those were the words of Mary Hume
At her seventh birthday party,
Looking ‘round the ribboned room.
"This table cloth is pink not white—
Almost perfect… but not quite."

"Almost perfect… but not quite."
Those were the words of grown-up Mary
Talking about her handsome beau,
The one she wasn’t gonna marry.
"Squeezes me a bit too tight—
Almost perfect… but not quite."

"Almost perfect… but not quite."
Those were the words of ol’ Miss Hume
Teaching in the seventh grade,
Grading papers in the gloom
Late at night up in her room.
"They never cross their t’s just right—
Almost perfect… but not quite."

Ninety-eight the day she died
Complainin’ ‘bout the spotless floor.
People shook their heads and sighed,
"Guess that she’ll like heaven more."
Up went her soul on feathered wings,
Out the door, up out of sight.
Another voice from heaven came—
"Almost perfect… but not quite."

Miss Mary Hume has pretty definite expectations in life, expectations of how things should be. She looks at every circumstance, every person, in her life through the lens of those expectations. And although she is named Mary, she has much more in common with Martha in today’s gospel. Martha has clear expectations of how things should be. That is the primary personal trait Luke describes about Martha. She looks at life through the lens of her expectations, her expectations of how things should be. For one thing, she expected Jesus to enforce a fair distribution of household duties. She expected her Lord to make her sister do a fair share of the work. She had clear expectations of Jesus.

Perhaps not unreasonable expectations, at least among siblings, nevertheless… Jesus says to Martha: Don’t worry. Do not worry so much about whether of not life is meeting your expectations. Do not evaluate every moment against the standard of your expectations. Approach life, instead, with an attitude of hospitality, of expectancy, of welcome. To Martha, Jesus says: This moment right now that we share… Martha, this very moment that you share with your Lord is a wondrous and undeserved gift. Accept it with a glad and grateful heart.

I don’t believe that Jesus was criticizing Martha’s particular expectations. He was not saying to her: Yes, there is a certain sort of life that is better than any other in God’s eyes and you, Martha, need to change your expectations to conform to that perfect life. He was not saying that Mary’s contemplative approach was more pleasing to God than the task oriented life that Martha lived. Rather, Jesus’ message to Martha was much more fundamental. He says to Martha, and to us, ease up on your expectations, whatever they may be. Don’t worry so much about how you expect things should be. Do not covet, or cling to, your expectations of God, of the church, of your spouse, of this moment. Instead, approach life with an attitude of hospitality, a heart open in welcome, a disposition of gratitude not judgment.

Jesus came into the world, not to fix it, but to bring God’s blessed holiness into the midst of it. Jesus came to offer us the wonder of God’s presence with us, even when we are "almost perfect… but not quite."

Mary, the Mary of the gospel story, is an example to us because she received, she welcomed, with graciousness and wonder, the marvelous gift that was offered into her life, the gift of the Lord’s presence. Hers was a posture or reception, of welcoming, of gratitude for life’s giftedness.

Sarah is a similar example… In this morning’s first lesson, Sarah is another example of someone who looked at life, not through the lens of her own expectations, but with open-eyed wonder and welcome. Three visitors, one of whom was the Lord, came to visit Abraham and brought the announcement that Sarah would bear a child in her old age. Surely that was not part of her expectations at that point in her life. Yet the Scripture says that Sarah laughed.

There are many different kinds of laughter. I’ve always imagined that Sarah’s laughter may have had a touch of skepticism to it, but that it was mostly filled with wonder. In my mind’s eye (and this image is purely a product of my imagination) I see Sarah as a good Southern woman… poor, with her gray hair escaping from a bun, wearing a cotton print dress and apron as she stands eavesdropping behind the tent flap. As she hears the strangers’ news, she chuckles to herself and drawls, "Well, I never!" I never. I never expected to hear that news. I never expected this to happen. Well, I never. And then, as a good, faithful southern woman, she might have added, "Glory be!" Glory be to God for such a marvelous and unexpected gift.

Two approaches to life. Martha’s way, which is so often ours, approaches life with a set of expectations, our expectations. Then life becomes an exercise in judgment. Does life or God or the church or our spouse meet our expectations? If not, we are then bound to either try to somehow enforce conformity to our expectations or exhaust ourselves in anger and frustration when everything around us somehow remains "almost perfect… but not quite."

The other approach to life is Mary’s approach (the gospel Mary’s), or Sarah’s. They approach each day, each moment, not preoccupied with what they expect of life, not focusing on how they think things should be. Rather, they are open and welcoming to what may be. Theirs are hearts hospitable to the Lord’s presence, grateful for God’s never ending and unexpected gifts.

Because she was so preoccupied with her own expectations, Miss Mary Hume missed a lot. She missed the joyous surprise of her seventh birthday party, missed her chance at love with a handsome beau, missed the spirit and creativity of her seventh grade students. She missed most of what life offered her.

When she arrived at heaven’s portals, God may have looked upon her and said, "Almost perfect… but not quite." But then God added, "Welcome, Miss Mary Hume; I’m glad you’re here." Did heaven meet her expectations? Did she accept God’s invitation to share eternal life in God’s presence? Will we wait until death before we accept the gift of God’s blessings, before we welcome God’s presence into our hearts?

Or will we laugh with Sarah? Laugh with joy at the wondrous and bountiful blessings dropped into our lives when we least expect them.

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