Mistakes

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. James 1:2-3

Again, I would like to extend a special thank you to Heather for continuing with the reflections while I was adjusting to life with a newborn. We welcomed Emmy into the world about three weeks ago. She’s a sweet baby girl and we are all enjoying her!

I would like to lead this reflection with the same question that was posed in the first sentence of the reading, “When was the last time that you made a mistake?” Did you need to think long and hard on that question? Doubtful. We all make mistakes each day (some days we make many more than others). We make mistakes in our personal, professional and family lives.

Let me give you a funny example of a mistake I made just before going on maternity leave. I work part time as a public relations coordinator, which means I spend most of my time writing and although I write a great deal one of my weaknesses is proofreading. Several others of much more authority proofread my work before I send it to the public. I was trying to get out an email quickly. In the body of the email, where I was mentioning the good works of our organization, I mentioned Pam’s Pantry (which provides food for those in need). I left out a letter though – and it read “Pam’s Panty.” This email was distributed to about 1,000 community members – whoops! Luckily, my colleagues made a joke of it and were very forgiving. I think I need to take a proofreading course!

Not all mistakes are a laughing matter though. Some mistakes we make may hurt others – our spouses, kids, or other family members. It’s important to know that when we do make mistakes we should ask others for forgiveness. We should also ask God for forgiveness and grant ourselves forgiveness as well. I think we, as women, tend to be hardest on ourselves. It’s important to remember that God forgives, so we must forgive ourselves. Also, we must forgive others for their mistakes.

Little did I know how many mistakes I would make as a parent (and my son is only two). Do you find yourself making mistakes as a mother? Who would know that parenting would be so challenging! I sometimes make the mistake of yelling at my son because I have lost my patience. I realize now the importance of quickly apologizing. The beauty of children is that they are so forgiving – not sure this holds true though once they are teenagers!

Lastly, I would like to mention that I find I make more mistakes when I don’t listen to my intuition. I think the female or “mother” intuition is truly a gift from God - let that intuition guide you as I believe its God working through us. Trust the Lord and trust in yourself. Forgive yourself and forgive others.