Tip of My Iceberg

When I was in sixth grade, my teacher, Mrs. Wagner, had us write our very first research paper. We could pick any country in the world and find out as much as we could about the history, customs, and local landmarks. Crafting it into a paper with footnotes and creating a poster board with pictures would complete the project, which we’d then present to the class.

I chose Ireland.

I fell in love with the country as I researched it. The landscape itself was breathtaking; who knew there could be so many shades of green? I decided then that someday I’d visit Ireland.

Decades later, my dream came true. With my two sisters, we toured Ireland for twelve days with a group of twenty-two other people, making friends as we discovered the Emerald Isle.

Time changed. Coming from a country that doesn’t have much history past three hundred years, we saw buildings, homes, castles, and landmarks that were over 1,500 years old. So many of these places were still beautifully intact, and the ones missing walls or roofs often experienced destruction through wars and armed attacks. The Rock of Cashel, for instance, was a cluster of buildings including a chapel, a cathedral, and an abbey, built in the tenth century. Much of it still stands, including a centuries-old cemetery.

Nobody builds things to last like that anymore.

What we noticed as we heard more of Irish history was that people spent time, not just money, to get things done right. They’d invest in the design and the materials, knowing this was something that would outlast their own brief lifetime.

Today, we’re quick to construct many things (except roads!), anticipating that someone may tear them down in forty or fifty years and build something else in their place. We’ve lost pride in workmanship, being more concerned about finishing a project than getting it right.

We hurry to finish up one thing and start something else. We’ve lost sight of the value of excellence in what we do. Aristotle once said, “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” Rather than just getting by, merely checking off another box, choosing to do something well takes the work of intention and perseverance.

When God created the world, He did so with intent and excellence. He had a plan from eternity past to create a place for His people, the height of His creation, to enjoy and draw close to Him. “Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31.

Being God, His standard of excellence is perfection. He has never settled for less than that. It’s why to be able to relate to Him, we must be perfect.

An impossibility on our own.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood.” Romans 3;23-25a

We’ve been gifted with the chance to achieve excellence in Jesus, to experience eternity with Him, immersed in His love, and cared for by Him for all eternity.

What I found in Ireland was a standard of beauty that has lasted through time because of the care and craftsmanship that was put into it.

What I find in Jesus is a standard of acceptance that will last for eternity because He loves me that much.

What do you have that will last?