Would you rather be perfect or forgiven?

I've asked this question to myself and to my kids: Would you rather be perfect or forgiven? My natural instinct is to prefer to be perfect. I feel better about myself when I am perfect - when I don't make any mistakes (at least not any that people know about). But I am not perfect. And my failures frustrate me. But I realized a while back that my failures bring me an opportunity to experience something better than being perfect - being forgiven. You see, if I was perfect, people would probably always treat me okay - just because they'd have no reason not to. But when people treat me well when they have a reason not to - when they forgive me - then I know I am loved. And, when I stop and think about it, I would rather be loved and know it than be perfect and wonder if anyone really loves me. Would I rather be perfect or forgiven? I thank God that, in His wisdom, He did not make me perfect. Because as an imperfect person I have the opportunity to know that I am loved - by other people, and most of all by God.

Although he might not say it the way I say it here, perhaps umpire Jim Joyce would also say that he'd rather be forgiven than perfect, after the response to his mistake Wednesday night, and to his admirable confession of his mistake. (Note especially Joyce's comment that "I've probably been at an all-time low, and steadily climbing to, I guess, an all-time high, I guess.")

Romans 11:32 "For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all."