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Pursuing Excellence

I remember my first lesson in excellence. It wasn't a truck load of money dropped in my pocket! No one gave me a home or bought me diamonds and I didn't give ten dollars to get a thousand. No; I had this blanket and the ends were open with the stuffing hanging out. I sat covered up in this quilted comforter complaining to the Lord that it was ragged and I couldn't buy a new one. Then like a shout from heaven a thought thundered in my heart "sew it" and make the best of what you have! I didn't want to sew it. I wanted a new one with curtains and rugs to match. I wanted a new bedroom suite to - to prove that God's blessings were on my life.

That old comforter proved that excellence is more than having new things. It's living thankfully with what ever you have. Paul and Silas lived excellent lives although they spent much of their time in prison. They might have enjoyed that blanket. They might have enjoyed my old car. Many persecuted Christians today would be thrilled just to sit on our old wooden pews. You know - the ones without the padding! That old ragged blanket turned out to be the most beautiful comforter I'd ever seen. Because it was sewn out of necessity I could have thrown it away but I changed it, and it taught me to treasure the things that I have. It taught me that when I compare them to someone else's things they may be inadequate - but if I'm thankful and treasure what I already have then even an old comforter can be a blessing.

To see everyone living the life I wanted to live made me sick. Nothing I had was good enough. I wanted an excellent life. I had no idea that excellence didn't come with money and fine clothes. The rich don't need to worry about excellence. They have excellent things! If those things break down they'll buy new things so the rich seldom treasure anything. It's too easily obtained. They have too much of it and in every color.
The treasure they owned was way out of my reach. I could see them. I could smell them. I could almost taste them. But I couldn't have them. I felt empty and useless! In my heart I thought success was having all the things money could buy, and the respect that comes with it. It took forever for this thick head to understand that the value of a soul is not what it possesses. The value of a person comes from the one who possesses the soul!

I could have all those things and still not be happy or fulfilled. The more we have; the more we want! True Excellence comes from inside! Excellence comes from my ability to treasure the "not so new" blessings in my life. I can live an excellent life by being grateful for the blessings I already have. I can wash, shine, or sew and make the old like new again. So if you own very little - take what you have: paint it, shine it or sew it. Do whatever it takes to make you thankful for it again. Believe me it can become the most excellent display of craft and ingenuity your friends have ever seen. We can continue in our pursuit of excellence by chasing, searching for, or digging deep inside for the very excellent person you are, and allow God to get the glory out of your life. We don't have to settle for second best. We only have to be the best we can. That's Excellent!

Learn more about this author, Shirley Scurlock.
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