The giving of imperfect gifts

One of the surest ways of holding back from giving is to think, "I haven't got the perfect gift for her". It's what also keeps me from helping someone else: "I don't know enough about _______ to help", "someone can do this better than I can". How foolish. And what a lonely world it would be, if we had to always wait for the best person to help us, before we could receive help. How few gifts I would receive, if only perfect gifts were acceptable.

The recipe was from Happy Home Baking. The special one with the heart was for my husband.

Earlier today, I made a tray of pineapple tarts: imperfect pineapple tarts. Somehow, the dough didn't roll well and kept cracking when I was trying to mold it. It was frustrating, especially when each misshapen, cracked tart exacerbated the anguish I felt at being further and further from having perfectly-formed pineapple tarts for my friends this Chinese New Year. I had looked forward to this all week, so the disappointment was intense.

To offer a gift takes courage; the gift might suffer rejection. But to offer an imperfect gift takes even more courage; it seems the odds are greater that it will not be accepted.

So take courage, my soul, take even more courage since your life is a daily offering of broken, misshapen gifts, each bearing the precious promise of redemption, to be fulfilled once each gift is offered, faithfully by the One Source of all gifts.