Perfection...?

Ten small parts. Two hours. That's how long I spent last night putting this signal in place. Am I satisfied? Probably. Could it be better? Definitely.

I've been working on this layout for about 6 weeks now, and it's taking shape nicely. I've made significant progress with the big picture and am starting to work on the small details, such as this light-only signal (it won't actually stop trains, it is only there for decoration/effect). So I spent 2 hours on it last night getting it as right as I possibly could. With all things Lego, I'm something of a perfectionist, getting it to look as "right" as possible.

But that perfectionism comes at a price; sometimes it means rebuilding something several times, sometimes it means ordering parts from Lego re-sellers worldwide. www.bricklink.com is a wonderful resource if you haven't yet found it. Building Lego is largely a solitary thing, I can immerse myself in it for hours, so perfectionism only impacts on me. But elsewhere?

"The world" is constantly telling us to improve; to upgrade our phone, get better exam results, Continuing Professional Development, wear this, look like that etc etc. I'm not against improvement, but we must be aware of the underlying message that can be sent out - "You're not good enough as you are without the perfect______"; insert grades/phone/trainers/qualification as you see fit.

I don't have a degree.

I did my Leaving Cert in Ireland twice before I left school.

I bought my first iPod after I turned 40.

I get it wrong, I sin, regularly. I'm not cool. I'm not perfect. And never will be.

But I don't stop striving towards perfection. As a person, as a Lego builder, as a Christian, I always want to do better, but we must never lose sight of the fact that we are who we are, not what we achieve. I believe I'm made in the image of God, and that's enough for me. Knowing God, through Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith, spurs me on to give more, serve more, love more, play more, work more, build more, give Him my best. My best is what he demands of me, because I can achieve my best. I cannot achieve perfection. God does not set us up to fail.

The signal I built last night is finally the best I could achieve. I would say there's room for improvement, but with the parts available to me last night, I'm not sure what that could be. I'll keep on learning, trying new things, to do better, but I learned long ago not to get hung up on perfection and simply give my best.

Vision Evolving

Sometimes when you start something you don't know exactly what's going to happen - where a journey will take you or in this case, what a station might look like! I know when I'm working through with God "what next?", the final destination is rarely crystal clear, and the path certainly isn't! The journey is all part of the adventure.

 When I set out building this layout, I knew I wanted a station that people could easily see into, which meant lots of clear panels, and one that if it was in "the real world" would be light and airy, not claustrophobic and dank, think Birmingham New Street if you've had the pleasure...

I also had in mind enclosed platforms, at least part way along, and once the next bricklink.com or Lego.com Pick-a-brick order arrives, the large transparent wall on the right will be completed to give an enclosed, box shape station with cover over the platforms. Access to the island platforms is via elevator, with one at each end and a connecting elevator/subway combination from the subway. They may or may not get motorized in due course!

 During the build, things evolved and various bits were taken apart and rebuilt, and as it stands I'm reasonably happy with how it will look when finished. There is still a way to go, but just like real life, the journey is as much part of the adventure as the destination. While I'm waiting for the parts to arrive for the wall, I'll be detailing the ground floor inside and starting on the final section this weekend. We'll see where it goes and what it looks like!