Though imperfect, we seek perfection

The story is told of Mulla Nasrudin who was sitting in a tea shop one day when a friend came to speak with him. He said, "I am about to get married, Mulla! I am very excited! Tell me, Mulla, have you ever thought about getting married yourself?"

Nasrudin said, "When I was younger, I used to think about it all the time. I very much wanted to get married; but I decided to wait for the perfect woman. So I traveled to Damascus and there I met a beautiful woman who was gracious and kind and deeply spiritual; but she had no worldly knowledge. So I traveled further; and in Isphahan I met a woman who was both spiritual and worldly, beautiful in many ways, but we did not communicate very well. Finally, I went to Cairo and, there, after much searching, I found her: she was spiritually deep, graceful, beautiful in every respect, generous and at home in the world; and we got along very well!"

His friend asked, "And did you marry her?" And Nasrudin, shaking his head said, "Alas, she was, unfortunately, looking for the perfect man."

Many have been disappointed in not finding the perfect spouse; or job; or house; or community; or anything else for that matter. Perfection is difficult to attain, and just when we think we have accomplished it, something often comes in to the picture to show us how imperfect we are.

However, there is no reason to give up, for in reaching for perfection, wonderful

experiences and insights

may be discovered.

An early theologian spoke of perfection in two ways: a - when a thing is perfect in itself; and b - when it perfectly serves its purpose. Both are difficult, but again, worth making the effort. There may be one, but I've never seen a book with the title, "Perfection: How I Attained it."

If we can acknowledge that we are always in the "becoming stage," perhaps it can be a wonderful journey.