One of my favorite short stories is Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark", in which a brilliant scientist seeks to rid his beautiful wife of her one imperfection; a small birthmark on her cheek that resembles a tiny hand. He rejects the beauty God has set before him, and prides himself in his ability to render what nature "left imperfect in her fairest work". As his wife lies dying, she says to him, "Do not repent that with so high and pure a feeling, you have rejected the best that the earth could offer". His discontentment, as well as his disillusionment with his ability to "outdo" the Creator, costs him everything he holds dear.

Sound familiar?

When I read this story, I'm reminded of the amazing gift of fellowship that we've been given with our Creator; a priceless gift that I so often reject or exchange for lesser novelties. I'm rarely so brazen as to believe that I am truly a better planner of my life or a better judge of morality than my Creator; but when I chose paths that I know lead to separation from Him, that's exactly what I'm doing. Trading what is good and pure and right for what I think works well. "God, I know you're pretty smart and all, but just trust me on this one". I look forward to the day when I am so in love with God and His ways that I wouldn't think of trying to improve upon His plan by doing things my own way.