Mr. Perfect

I had the wonderful opportunity to take my family to Disneyland a few weeks ago.  On the way down we stopped off at a Disney outlet store.  I found a great T-shirt there for $3.  On the front of the shirt it read, "Mr. Perfect.  Life is good when you're me"

I had to buy it and wear it with pride.  If fact, I'm wearing it right now as I type this thought.  The problem I've had with this T-shirt, is that the days that I wear it, I seem to have experiences that really show just how far from perfect I really am.  Tonight happend to be a not so shining moment for a father who lost his temper with his oldest daughter.  Of course, I'm sure I'm the only parent that has struggled in being the perfect parent.  For a brief time I felt me telling myself, "I can't do this?  I need help, I'm ready to throw in the towel."  At this point you start to disengage.  I found myself in my office pondering and praying.  I sat in my office chair staring at my bookshelf.  I decided to pull off a book called "Pathways to Perfection" by Thomas S. Monson.

 I opened it up and began reading a talk called, "Finishers Wanted".  Was this coincidence?  No way.  This was an answer to a prayer from a son to his Father in Heaven who was struggling to be a father of his own.  President Monson tells of story of how he was out window shopping and came across a sign that said "Finshers Wanted".  He told of examples from the scriptures of those who failed to finish and endure the race.  He also shared of examples of those who "fought a good fight" and "finished the course."  I read phrases like "run with patience".  It was just what I needed tonight.  Jesus says in 3 Nephi 12:48, "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect."  So "life is good when you're me" and you are applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ in your life.  He feels in the large gaps that we have in our imperfect state, and carries us so we can be "Mr. Perfect" even as He and the Father.  We just need to endure, keep the commandments, rely on Him and "finish the course."  Let us be look unto Jesus, the Savior and be finishers, Hebrews 12:2:

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let us remember though that we cannot be a finisher without our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is the "finisher" in us.  Moroni 6:4:

"... relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith."