Practice Makes (Almost) Perfect

Matthew 7:24
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock.

My husband, Danny, and I adore our granddaughter, Virginia Rose.  But, unlike lots of "Gammies" and "Papas" out there, we don't spoil her with too many toys.  In fact, we've been almost irrationally frugal in this respect, expecting her mom and dad to pack up toys for her to play with when she visits with us.

Oh, to be sure, we have a few sources of entertainment which she finds only here.  Her rock collection (she has many more than pictured below), paper and crayons (yes, she had to peel off the paper!), toy cars to scoot back and forth on our table, and BBs from long-ago air soft wars to dig out from our yard.  Yes, she is actually delighted to hunt for these, and will tell us the color of each as she hands them over to us for safe keeping!

So when Virginia visits us last week, her eyes are immediately drawn to this box sitting on the kitchen table.

Instinctively, she knows it is a toy for her.  She points to it eagerly.

"You'll have to wait until Papa puts it together, Virginia.  It won't take him long."

So, I play cars with her while Danny dutifully carries the box into the garage to assemble the bean bag toss.

Virginia is thrilled!  It doesn't take her long to understand how to play the game, but she has a lot more misses than hits on the first go around.  She even thinks Papa is a target!

On her next visit, Virginia once again practices her bean bag tosses.  Over and over again.  Practicing until she gets better and better.  We are both amazed by her tenacity and her increased rate of success in aiming for the holes.

Of course, all this activity finally catches up with her . . .

Sweet dreams, little angel!

~

To become better at any task or skill, we must practice it.  The same goes for our Christian walk.  Are you hearing the Word of the Lord and putting it into practice every day?  If so, your foundation will be rock solid.  You can shine the light of Christ into the lives of those around you.  You can abide in His peace which passes all understanding.

And, knowing that peace, you'll sleep like a baby . . .

Will you pray with me?

Father, we thank You for Your Word which guides us in all that we do.  Help us to put Jesus' commandments into daily practice that we might be His light in this world.  Though all our practice won't make us perfect, we know that we will one day be perfected in Heaven with You.  Amen.