Flaws

I have photographs of the scene, but the scene will never be erased from my mind, in Burma, in a large tin shed, human beings sitting all day long, on the ground, weaving a beautiful tapestries/carpets, many spools of silk thread hanging down, the intricate patterns and colors, knots in the back of the masterpiece, entire families working on such for several months. These Burmese people were often blind at a very young age from working in such drastic conditions of lighting and temperature, but this was their way of making a living, it was a very good living for the rug dealer, who sold these carpets/tapestries for large amounts of money, usually starting around $5000. The dealer told me that in each rug there was an identifying flaw, you see, oriental rugs, advertised as oriental rugs are often machine made, one must know the difference. The original, the hand made, always has a flaw.

Traveling the world, particularly in Sri Lanka, I always bought some expensive gemstones. I would always have someone I trusted put the jewelers loop in front of his eye and assure me there was a flaw in the stone. Every original stone or rock on earth has a flaw. You never buy a gem stone unless you can see a flaw with magnification. Synthetic gem stones are made by a machine, and there are no flaws. You know you have the genuine, a true gem, if there is a occlusion, an imperfection, a flaw which you can see with a magnifier, the synthetic stones do not have such.

It is very difficult to recognize great works of art, I own a copy of a great canvas, which, to the untrained eye, would appear to be the original: artist signature, everything about the painting, particularly in a world where art has gone down, not up, abstract paintings can be hung upside down and make just as much sense. The artist will put a small flaw, perhaps his initials, in an obscure place, the art dealer knows what to look for. The dealers being able to prove the authenticity of a painting is worth thousands of dollars.

I have never known a perfect individual, nor a perfect anything, certainly nothing that is an original. A machine could turn out a perfect thing, the sociologist-psychologist, anatomist could probably design a perfect robot-clone, but there would be nothing human about this robot, because human beings are filled with imperfections. Pitiful the bride or groom who thinks perfection, early, they will discover imperfection, the trouble starts when you try to change someone, removing those imperfections, without benefit of anesthesia. Pitiful the parent who thinks perfect child, give the child a chance to develop, to be a child. Childhood is for fun, playing, learning by doing. Don't drown a child with task, chores, homework, there will be enough time for drudgery the rest of life. Whether a child, a family, a couple just getting started, make every day as happy as possible. Do not go into a job or vocation in which you are not happy, nothing is worse than miserable employment, you know you are happy in your vocation, a large part of your life, when you go to bed at night, tired from work, looking forward to getting up and doing the same thing all over again.

Abraham Lincoln said, “people are as happy as they make up their mind to be.” The great preacher Charles Spurgeon said, “happiness is what we have got and what we have not got.” Go to our blessed lord, the greatest sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), put in the word “happy” instead of “blessed”. Happy are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Happy are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Happy are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Happy are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Happy are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Happy are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Happy are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

In studying biblical archeology, nothing is more fascinating than studying the world's wisest and richest man, King Solomon, son of King David. Movies have been made about King Solomon's mines, his horses, his stables. We studied the gold in his horses stables, as well as the gold in the most expensive building ever built, Solomon's temples (700/800 BC). But, even Solomon, three hundred wives, seven hundred concubines, more riches and wisdom than we can even imagine, finally said that all happiness is vanity (Ecclesiastes 1-2). You will not be happy trying to be someone else, you are you, God designed you (Psalm 139). I do not know how anyone can read this wonderful Psalm of David, and refuse to believe that each individual is unique.

Just think, of all the billions of human beings who have lived on this earth from its creation around 12,000 BC, to the Great Flood in 5,000 BC, and since to 2010 AD, of the 6,866,000,000 people on earth today, there has never been another one like you. Your DNA, your fingerprints, the iris flex in your eyes, your voice, your soul, no one else like you. Only our omnipotent, omniscient, sovereign God of glory, who has designed every snowflake that has ever fallen, could in a special way, design you. Your happiness should be in the knowledge that in spite of yourself, you are special.

Happiness is not found in things (1 John 2:15). When you have things, you have what things can do. When you have the deceitfulness of riches, the admiration of pagans, the phasing/aging out of beauty, then you have the happiness these matters can give to you. True happiness comes from knowing that God loves you more then you love him. God had a reason for investing flaws in you. Your happiness should come from doing well when everything is wrong. We read about superman, spiderman, batman, superheroes, these are figures of fiction, figments of the imagination, the true superhuman finds happiness in overcoming flaws, his own, and the imperfections of the world around him.