By Kathy Yoder

Seeking — and finding —‘more’ in the land of Perfection

In the land of Perfection where the pencils are always sharp and the weather is always sunny. Where the socks are always matching and missing objects are always found. Where the children are always content and their toys are always new. Where the parents are always happy and the TV is always educational. Where the books are always entertaining and the librarians are always helpful. Where the teachers are always kind and the principal is always laughing. Where hot lunch is always hot and the desserts are always chocolate. There lived one child who wanted more.

“More?” his parents ask, as if the concept is so strange they have to keep repeating the word. “More?”

“Yes. Isn’t there more?” says the boy.

“Don’t you like your toys? Your room? Your school?” asks his father.

“The sunshine? Your teachers? Fun books? The laughing principal? Your hot lunches? The chocolate desserts? Us?” asks his mother.

“Of course, but is that it? Isn’t there … more?”

“All?” says mother. “More!”

His parents drive the boy to the edge of town. “What does that say?” they ask, pointing to a sign.

“Welcome to Perfection, the Most Perfect Town Around!”

“See? What more could you want?”

“Well, that settles that,” says father, relieved that his son understands.

But he doesn’t. He just stops asking the question out loud. And even though it looks like things are back to being perfect in Perfection, they aren’t.

Other children stop playing with him. His parents start raising their voices. His brother and sister tease him. Even the family dog, Perfect, behaves less than. He growls when the boy enters the room. Puff Bunny, the cat, hisses at him. One day when the family is gone, Perfect has his first accident in the house. So does Puff Bunny.

The next day at school, the hot lunch is lukewarm. A teacher is less than kind. The librarian shushes the children. The principal’s grumpy. It rains all day and the children wonder: What if it never stops raining? What if the sun never comes out? What if the principal stays grumpy? What if my favorite book is checked out? What if. …”

And perfection is no more. You might sigh and say, “Oh, that’s too bad.” But it isn’t bad at all. In the midst of the newfound chaos, the boy finds true perfection. It happens one day at the Perfection Public Library where the books are always reachable and the due dates are always in the future. Way back in a forgotten corner, the boy finds an old book. He opens it slowly, like a dying man who finds a bottle of water in the desert. He’s afraid to hope, but more afraid not to.

The boy holds the book carefully as he opens the cover and reads the title, “Holy Bible.” He’s never heard of it. “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1. Like a thirsty man, he drinks the refreshing words. He reads more, gulping down page after page.

“Oh God, you are my God; early will I seek you. My soul thirsts for you; my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The man who fears is not made perfect in love.” I John 4:18

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

Somewhere between the beginning and the end, the boy realizes that he’ll never be thirsty again. He shares the Good News with the people of Perfection. Not all want to hear it, but some do. And some are forever changed.

And the Bible answers the boy’s question, “Is there more?” Yes, there is more. Much more. And that is the only perfection anyone ever needs.

Kathy Yoder is a devotional writer.