I listened to a song demo today. I’d heard plenty of them before, but this one sounded unusually rough. I tried not to let on that it grated on my nerves. My friend had warned me that it was a demo before he pressed the play button, but I still wasn’t quite prepared. I hoped he hadn’t noticed me cringe or squirm in my chair.

After about a minute of private anguish, Jesus managed to get through to me.

It’s just a demo, He spoke to my mind.

I know, I replied, but it’s still difficult to listen to.

You have to hear it as the composer hears it—as it will be, not as it is now.

That’s an interesting way to look at it.

Yes, and also the best way. It’s how I look at you, actually.

Ouch! Alright, I’ll give it a try.

To my astonishment, it worked instantly. When I listened beyond the rough background noises, the missed beats, and the off-key notes, the song was actually quite good. The melody, it turned out, was beautiful and relaxing, and it fit the lyrics perfectly. I looked forward to the finished product, and I told my friend so.

Throughout life, people make mistakes; they say or do some things wrong, and sometimes repeatedly or with disastrous results. That’s because we are all rough demos in God’s hands right now. There’s a lot about each of us that He still needs to fix, and it’s going to take time.

When we can look at others that way, when we try to see them not as they are, but as they will be, everyone wins. They have leeway to be less than perfect, learn by trial and error, and thus keep growing; and we can better appreciate the God-given beauty in those around us.

Peter Story is a member of the Family International in Mexico.