Mistakes.

I have officially dubbed this summer as 'summer of mistakes'. I am interning with a local organization and I am passionate about the work that they do, but I am new there. And being new means making mistakes.

I am also working at a new job. There are details and an overload of information and protocol to remember and abide by. And naturally, there are more mistakes made there.

Some days I come home and feel defeated. I often feel like I should make fewer mistakes then I do, and discouragement sets in. But I'm not allowed to stay there long. In those moments, when I am tempted to start finding my worth in what I do, that is when God steps in and reminds me that making mistakes produces character. Making mistakes teaches and shapes me. Making mistakes keeps me humble. And perhaps most importantly, making mistakes keeps me reliant upon Him.

A quote that has become a favorite, probably because it is so pertinent for me during this season of life is this--

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I am positive that a doer makes mistakes." -John Wooden

Its true, too. I think as a society at large we value doing things 'right.' We value performance and sometimes we begin to find our identity in what we do, rather than who and whose we are. That is a dangerous thing.

When I was a child I would often say whatever was on my mind, even if it was majorly un-tactful and cringe-worthy. I learned how to communicate tactfully by doing it wrong first.

I learned how to solve unexpected problems that arise with a calm demeanor, only after trying first to solve them with anxiety and a raised voice. I found out quickly that that only made the situation worse.

I learned how to pick my battles by choosing all the wrong ones initially.

As difficult and uncomfortable as the mistakes can be, I am convinced that they are necessary. They are necessary in order to teach, mold and shape. And, when its all said and done, we come out, hopefully, a little more like the One who created us.

So, in closing, I'll leave you with the brilliant, Thomas Edison, (who, by the way, tried a buzillion different ways to make a light bulb, before finding the one that worked):

When You're in the Cave...

I came to a realization today as I was working through some tough news that I received about some family members.

I do not understand God or the way that He works. But I trust Him. 

Its been one of those seasons where it feels like my family is walking through a dark cave, trying to feel our way around without any light source. And we keep hitting walls. We run into holes in the ground. We grow fatigued and weary. It feels scary and overwhelming at times. But there is an odd, uncanny peace. A peace that transcends even the toughest, most unexpected circumstances. Its as though we know, we will make it out of the cave. We don't know when, and we don't know how, but by golly, we will make it out.

And its more than just wishful thinking, its rooted in truth. In a knowledge of who our Father is, and what His character is. 

I realize it sounds glib to say 'it will be okay.' It doesn't make the pain or the hardship any less real, but it is a reminder that heaven is our home, and there, tears, sorrow and grief will be nonexistent. There there will be rejoicing, praising, worshiping and only healthy relationships.

But, no, its not okay. It hasn't been okay for a while. Sickness. Broken relationships. Uncertainties. Lack of communication. Loneliness. They are very real. For my family and for countless others. And its alright to admit the hardship. Its alright to grieve. Its alright to cry. God is pleased with our honesty and authenticity before Him (not convinced? Read any of the Psalms).

So I sit here, both saddened and rejoicing. Saddened for the tough season we're all walking through. Saddened for the hurt happening around me. But rejoicing that there can be and is peace in the midst of suffering. Rejoicing that my God goes before His children, even when they're walking through the cave.

source: weekendnotes.com