I made a mistake. By the time I realized that I had made the mistake, it was already too late. It was unintentional, a mistake pure and simple, but once the course of events was set in motion the situation was out of my hands. There is nothing much worse than messing up. Except messing up when the consequences of your actions affect others and you are powerless to stop it. That’s worse. In Need of Grace At the hour that I am writing this, I should be fast asleep in my bed. It is late. I am tired. Yet, sleep is elusive tonight. Situations like these will never be any fun; but as I lay in bed, trying desperately to sleep, I prayed. I asked for mercy upon me and the situation. I prayed for a solution to the situation details specifically. But it wasn't too long before I was praying for grace. I am a woman who has been the recipient of much grace in her lifetime. Grace, receiving something you most definitely do not deserve, is one of the most wonderful things in the world; yet … [Read more...]
What Is Your Response When Others Make Mistakes?
It happened at church. My family had come early, and as we walked down the hallway, a young mother tried to drop off her two-year-old at the nursery. The worker explained that unfortunately they couldn't take any children yet. The mother's reaction caught me by surprise. She swept her child into her arms, shouted "Thanks a lot!" and stormed off down the hall. I forced myself not to turn and watch her stomp away. I couldn't believe she got that upset because the nursery wasn't open. After all, she had shown up early! And why couldn't she wait a couple minutes? I was tempted to think less of her after that situation. A few uncharitable thoughts went through my head. But I reminded myself that I, too, have over-reacted to simple situations. If that had been me, I would want others to give me the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she had just been given really bad news. Maybe she'd been feeling sick all day. Maybe she had had trouble with that particular worker in the past. While … [Read more...]
Mom vs Mom: Applying Grace
Not long after my son was born, I overheard two young mothers from my church discussing another woman with a toddler. The conversation centered around potty training and how this woman had done it all wrong; she regularly took her son to the bathroom rather than letting him make the decision on his own. Here's what I gleaned from that discussion: I'd best do everything right as a mom because all the ladies in church would bad-mouth me behind my back if I didn't, and I wanted them to approve of me. Isn't this a struggle for most moms? Although at my bridal shower the pastor's wife warned me to never compare myself to other women, I didn't listen. I tried to live up to the standard of the "perfect Christian mom" I created in my head. I studied a lot of parenting resources provided by Christian organizations because I was determined to raise my kids right. And sadly, I judged other moms who failed to parent their kids the way I thought was best. Gradually, God showed me that my … [Read more...]
Reader Comments