Joyful Ruins

Somehow, through Jesus’s words, we have decided that making mistakes is a sin,

Be perfect as My Heavenly Father is perfect.

I grew up feeling like I needed to tip toe through life, careful not to disturb others or mess anything up. It was like I lived in a museum of priceless paintings. I could look at life, but I feared touching it, or moving too fast because I did not want to “sin” by making things messy.

But mistakes are not sin. Perfection as Jesus talks about is a wholeness that only comes from Him. It is through our unique mistakes we come to learn, grow, and become whole.

I wish I had learned that mistakes did not have to bring shame or self hate. Rather mistakes are these miracles of life, chances, opportunities, to see God’s ways of working all things for good. Mistakes are chances for us to offer ourselves the same grace God gives all of humanity. Mistakes are a chance for us to trust God and work in partnership with Him to let go of the need to do it all right.

Mistakes can be our most defining moments. When they come, it is normal to feel negative feelings and yet, we can meet those feelings with the truth that our mistakes are a beautiful and necessary part of our story.