Sunday, January 30, 2011

Mercy for Measuring Sticks

Today, I went on a date.  It wasn't my first date.  It wasn't my worst date.  It also wasn't my best date.  It just was.  The date itself was somewhat uneventful, I admit, but it made me realize something kind of important.  I do not want to spend my life using what I consider to have been a mistake (though a fun one) as a measuring stick for all other situations.

I've been on good dates.  And some of those good dates have lead to bad relationships.  I've known good men.  And some of those good men have been bad boyfriends.  Is it good or bad, then, to compare dates and men to ones that have turned out to be something less desirable?  I'm think it's bad.  And really, I'd rather not do it.

So as I berate myself for this driving home, I'm reminded, yet again, of my struggle with grace in my life.  Perhaps my greatest struggle with grace is the inability to extend it to myself when I fail.  Was today perfect? No.  If my life goal is to make each person I meet feel a little more loved, cared for, and to show Christ to them as best I can, did I meet it today?  Probably not.  But is Christ's sacrifice for me big enough to cover that failure?  Absolutely.  Just as it's big enough to cover good dates and men and bad relationships and boyfriends.  And really, if today showed me that the past isn't a good way to determine the future, I guess it wasn't all bad.

Today, I'm choosing to remember that the richer fruits are for me too.

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