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The ladies at my church have been doing a 12-part topical study at our monthly meetings and I always prepare the discussion notes beforehand. Last week, after I printed them out, I noticed that I'd forgotten to change "September" to "October" at the top of the page. The old me would have groaned and then corrected and re-printed them. The current me thought, "It's only 10 copies, but that's still a waste of paper and toner. It's fine. The women won't mind." And then I used a pen to make the correction on the print-outs by hand, adding a smiley face to each one. I'm not even sure whether the women noticed the correction. (Some of them are on this mailing list so they might decide to pull out the sheet later and have a look!)
That was not a big mistake and it was easy to decide what to do about it. But a few days earlier, I had to deal with a bigger mess-up.
Not long ago, I'd "politely" admonished an old (and older) friend in a small online group, a reaction to something he'd posted. He never responded, but he did get quiet. About a week later, he said something in our small in-person group that confirmed for me he was hurt. After the meeting, I pulled him aside and apologized. I admitted that it was wrong of me to not speak to him privately about my concerns instead of doing so publicly. He honoured me by honestly telling me how I'd offended him and we ended up having a really good talk and clearing the air.
Some mistakes are easy to fix. Some are hard or painful or humiliating to fix. And some cannot be fixed because, like a precious vase that smashes to pieces when dropped to the floor, the damage is irreversible. I've made a few of those mistakes, too, in my lifetime.
Some mistakes are avoidable if we are attentive, respectful, and diligent. Others happen, well, by mistake. They may be unintentional and unavoidable accidents.
What matters most in the end is whether we're willing to own up to our mistakes and do everything we can to make amends. If we can't fix the mistake, we would do well to humbly ask for forgiveness and resolve to not repeat that mistake. Jesus said, "So, what if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that someone has something against you? Leave your gift there and go make peace with that person. Then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24).
May you take any opportunities you have this week to fix your mistakes. . .
and have a wonderful Monday!
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