"Mistakes are required."
I liked it because it gave me permission to try, to forget at times, to just plain mess up.
I've been reminded of that in the past few days. . . and not in a good way. My pastor in a sermon a few weeks ago even said that Jesus made mistakes. Mistakes aren't sin, but are used for learning. Tipping over a glass, buying the wrong pop for your husband, singing at the wrong time in a song, burning the potatoes on the grill. . . all mistakes.
Today God walloped me upside the head. While we were at the library this morning (it was crazy busy) we waited for the elevator (having a stroller warrants the use of the elevator). As the doors opened, my ducks rushed in only to discover a full elevator including another stroller trying to get out. I asked them to get out of the way. Two ducks dutifully got out of the way while one duck took one step over--not getting out of the way. He thought he was in the clear, yet. . . . mistake. I pulled him aside and hissingly told him that he was not a good listener and needed to be aware (one of my catch phrases). "That was rude."
As we piled back into the car, I realized I had left Penny's shoes at home. We had intended to go to the park for a picnic and play time with friends from church. Alas, we'd have to go home first because I forgot. I announced to the kids that I had made a mistake.
On the way home, I realized that I had done the same thing as my son, yet I had allowed myself so much more slack. When we got home I apologized to him for being crabby to him. He forgave me. Yes!
Sometimes I'm o.k. with allowing mistakes and correcting behaviour, sometimes it just gets to me. If I want to encourage my kids to try new things, to get out and do, to risk it. . . then I really need to have a little more patience and let them have the freedom to make some mistakes. I know the lines get really blurry (like when one of my children writes on the cover of the Bible in the pew!!!!!). I'm going to try and do better.
No comments:
Post a Comment