Here’s a synopsis of a little conversation I had with my six year old daughter tonight as we stood in the long checkout line at one of our local stores:
Berta (a nickname): “Daddy, did you see that pretty bike back there? The purple and the green one?”
Me: “Yeah, baby. That was really nice.”
Berta: “I really want a bike like that someday.”
Me: “I think we could make that happen……but first you’re going to have to learn how to ride your other bike without the training wheels.”
Berta: “Okay……..but [with some hesitation] what if I fall when we take the training wheels off?”
Me: “You’ll get up and try again.”
Berta: [still hesitant] “But what if I fall off and hurt myself?”
Me: “You’ll probably cry a little bit….maybe you’ll need a Band-Aid or two……but you’ll get back up, dust yourself off, and try again. You’ll never learn how to ride it if you don’t keep trying until you get it right.”
Berta: [after considering what I said silently for about thirty seconds—a big smile creeps across her face and she looks me dead in the eyes] “Thanks, Daddy. You always make me feel better.”
After that last statement I just about walked to the back of the store and loaded that shiny new bike in the buggy to take home. As we stood there waiting a little longer to make our purchase I began thinking about her little personality. I was reminded she’s a little too much like her Daddy sometimes—and that’s not always a good thing. Daddy has a tendency to be a little bit of a control freak. [I know, big shocker, LOL!] I like order, organization, predictability, freedom to express myself, and more. My daughter is the same way. Once she gets use to something she’s not very fearful. But, like me, when she’s attempting something for the first time, or maybe the second or third, she tends to be apprehensive and nervous until she gets the hang of it. Many times she will come back and say, “That wasn’t scary at all!”
As I had this exchange with my daughter I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me a little…..well it was a slight kick in the rear. One of my other pitfalls is my tendency to be a perfectionist. I like everything I put my hands on to be done well and mistake-free. We all know that doesn’t happen. When I do make a mistake I normally come down hard on myself—much harder than anyone else ever would. I find the same is true of many people around me. Maybe you’ve tried hard to live a Christian life and you keep making mistakes and falling back into the same sin. Maybe you’re attempting to lose weight and you keep falling off the wagon. Maybe you’re afraid you’ll fall flat on your face so you never try to go after your dreams. Folks, let’s face it. We’re going to make mistakes sometimes…….and that’s okay. Yeah, you heard me……it’s okay. I’m not condoning sin or someone purposefully making wrong decisions. I’m talking about simply making mistakes. We ALL have/will at one time or another. A mistake shouldn’t DEFINE you. Your identity should never be found in what you’ve done wrong. I have always found solace in 1 John 1:9. It states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Did you screw up? Get over it! Rather, get back up, dust yourself off, and try again. You’re going to fall some time. What you do AFTER the fall/mistake is the true test of your character.