Pastor Larson’s Corner: Even with imperfections

Every year about this time I pick a couple large bags of apples off a tree that grows in our churchyard. The apples taste wonderful, and I have been making applesauce from them for nearly 20 years. No one else ever picks these apples even though I have told many church members how good they are. I know why no one else picks them. They don’t look good. They have many imperfections and blemishes with very little red coloring. Judging by their appearance, one might think they were wormy or had been attacked by insects. Once these apples are peeled and cored they are as good as apples get.

As I was peeling several dozen of these apples this week, I thought about how much we resemble these imperfect apples. Each of us has imperfections and blemishes, and yet we are capable of great and wonderful things. In the Bible we often see God using imperfect people to do great things. Every prophet, disciple and great leader in scripture had their dark side. They were sinful, imperfect human beings who responded to God’s call even in their weakness.

Like those Biblical characters, you and I are capable of amazing things in this life. We often focus on our shortcomings and our imperfections and forget about our attributes and talents. Never forget that God can use every one of us in powerful ways. God has always done this in the past and will continue to do so in the future. You can count on it.

Pastor Larson’s Corner is written by Jerry Larson and appears weekly in the Norwegian American Weekly.

Pastor Jerry Larson retired to his cabin in Zimmerman, Minn., after 39 years in parish ministry for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 2011 he published a book entitled “Speaking the Word Freely: Writing with purpose, preaching with power.” Contact him at jerlarson@visi.com

This article originally appeared in the Oct. 17, 2014 issue of the Norwegian American Weekly. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (800) 305-0271.