Onceacirclemissedawedge.Thecirclewantedtobewhole,soitwentaroundlookingforitsmissingpiece.Butbecauseitwasincompleteandthereforecouldrollonlyveryslowly,itadmiredtheflowersalongtheway.Itchattedwithworms.Itenjoyedthesunshine.Itfoundlotsofdifferentpieces,butnoneofthemfit.Soitleftthemallbythesideoftheroadandkeptonsearching.Thenonedaythecirclefoundapiecethatfitperfectly.Itwassohappy.Nowitcouldbewhole,withnothingmissing.Itincorporatedthemissingpieceintoitselfandbegantoroll.Nowthatitwasaperfectcircle,itcouldrollveryfast,toofasttonoticetheflowers，totalktotheworms.
Whenitrealizedhowdifferenttheworldseemedwhenitrolledsoquickly,itstopped,leftitsfoundpiecebythesideoftheroadandrolledslowlyaway.Thelessonofthestory,Isuggested,wasthatinsomestrangesensewearemorewholewhenwearemissingsomething.Themanwhohaseverythingisinsomewaysapoorman.Hewillneverknowwhatitfeelsliketoyearn,tohope,tonourishhissoulwiththedreamofsomethingbetter.Hewillneverknowtheexperienceofhavingsomeonewholoveshimandgiveshimsomethinghehasalwayswantedorneverhad.Thereisawholenessaboutthepersonwhohascometotermswithhislimitations,whohasbeenbraveenoughtoletgoofhisunrealisticdreamsandnotfeellikeafailurefordoingso.Thereisawholenessaboutthemanorwomanwhohaslearnedthatheorsheisstrongenoughtogothroughatragedyandsurvive,she/hecanlosesomeoneandstillfeellikeacompleteperson.
LifeisnotatrapsetforusbyGodsothathecancondemnusforfailing.Lifeisnotaspellingbee,wherenomatterhowmanywordsyou’vegottenright,you’redisqualifiedifyoumakeonemistake.Lifeismorelikeabaseballseason,whereeventhebestteamlosesone-thirdofitsgamesandeventheworstteamhasitsdaysofbrilliance.Ourgoalistowinmoregamesthanwelose.Whenweacceptthatimperfectionispartofbeinghuman,andwhenwecancontinuerollingthroughlifeandappreciateit,wewillhaveachievedawholenessthatotherscanonlyaspireto.That,Ibelieve,iswhatGodasksofus—not“beperfect”,not“don’tevenmakeamistake”,but“bewhole.”Ifwearebraveenoughtolove,strongenoughtoforgive,generousenoughtorejoiceinanother’shappiness,andwiseenoughtoknowthereisenoughlovetogoaroundforusall,thenwecanachieveafulfillmentthatnootherlivingcreaturewilleverknow.
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