“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird
― Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird
Something that’s been on my mind lately is failure. I take failure very personally. Something that might only set me back half a step in my eyes sets me back five steps. I used to think failure was everything. That if I failed, everything failed and that then I wasn’t worthy.
Some of the things I’ve failed are tests and assignments both in high school and college. I failed Calculus my first year and dropped that class. I failed all my biology tests in London. I failed getting into my dream school, Rice University (of which I’m now thankful for because Southwestern has been better and more amazing than I could have ever imagined.) I epically failed at my last relationship. And I’m constantly failing God. We all fail. We all experience that pain. Sometimes we think we’re failing more than others (me). My sophomore year was a complete failure. From my relationship to school to friendships. The other night I was thinking about all my failures. From school, to home, to friends. I thought of a recent failure that really hurt me. I failed a really good friend. And for a good hour all of my failures came rushing to me. Memories haunted me, words screamed at me, papers came back. I asked myself how I could fail this much. I then asked God how I could have failed this much. And then it occurred to me that how can I truly fail when I have God? How can any of us fail when we know Him. Failing is part of his plans. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Failing is part of his plan and that’s okay. We have to trust and believe in him. Failing can be good. We can learn from it. Our greatest success comes from our hardest moments. I completely failed my sophomore year. I failed myself, my mom and granddaddy, my ex, my friends, my professors, my sisters. I failed everyone. But you know what? I wouldn’t change it. I wouldn’t change all the nights of crying and confusion. I wouldn't change the heartache. I endured it and now I embrace it. Because I failed so miserably I had to rebuild myself. I could tell you my name and major and that was it. Because I failed I have become this woman that I know and love. Someone that I am proud of. Someone who is stronger than ever before. Failing can be positive. We think it’s a weakness and we beat ourselves up for it but we don’t have to. God is not going to give us more than we can handle. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation(s) has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” God says we can handle it. We can handle our failures. He’s going to give us the tools and hope and inspiration to get through our tough times, our failure, our weakness. God wants to see us in our weak moments. He wants to show us what He can do. He wants us to turn to him. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Psalm 9:9 says, “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Your weakness, my weakness is an opportunity for God to show his strength in your life and in my life. God can do it all. He is all. He is the reason. We have to turn to Him in our weakest moments. In those times that we’ve have failed so miserably and so hard that we don’t recognize ourselves. We have to go to him when we’ve failed in our friendships, in our workplace, in the classroom. And it’s not going to be easy. You’ll think to yourself that you know you should turn to him. You’ll think to yourself that you don’t want him to judge you or be made at you. But you know what he’s not going to judge you. He’s not going to be mad at you. He just wants you to come home. Come home to Him. Go home to Him. Psalm 86:7 says, “When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.” Go to him. Your failure will be made better. He will answer your prayer. It might not be right now, or tomorrow or the next day but eventually He will answer it. Maybe not in the way or form you were expecting but that’s okay. Failure makes us strong. This is our time to learn and grow. We can take our failure and go to God and grow closer to Him. The time is now. Job 5:21 says, “But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him. He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.” Miracles and wonders will happen when you go to him. Go to him with your failure or your weakness and see what God can truly do for you. God is going to turn that frown upside down. All will be made right. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” God, He is there for help us in our weakest moments. He is our strength, He’s going to save us no matter what we’re in, where we are. He has a plan. He’s going to help us get through our failures. When we fail we have to get back up. We must get back up. God is by us. Jeremiah 8:4 says, “Jeremiah says to the people of Judah, ‘This is what the Lord says, You know if a man falls down he gets up again. And if a man goes the wrong way, he turns around and comes back.” Proverbs 24:16 says, “for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” We must rise up and embrace and endure what is thrown our way. God is by our side. Failure makes us strong. Failure opens up new doors and new opportunities. Failure opens up new levels of creativity. Failure isn’t awesome and earning your failure titles is not awesome. It’s painful. Earning the name is horrible but pain has a way of unearthing beauty that we did not see. Pain can bring beauty. It allows us to appreciate the rainbow after a storm or the light after the big boom of a firework. When we’ve failed we have to dig ourselves up from where and when we’ve fallen. As we’re digging we find buried deep within our hearts pearls and souls. These pearls we find are hope, resilience, love, determination, the will to survive, the strength to stand, the ability to dream. Our greatest moments of success are born in our darkest moments. I lost who I was but now I’ve become this person that I’m proud of. I’ve learned to kiss the wave (the hardships, circumstances, failure, challenge, heartache) that is throws me against the Rock of Ages (the God of endless and eternal love, faith, and hope). The waves (turmoil and failure) are painful and hard to embrace but we must. They’re not the end but only the beginning. Our waves are our greatest and most patient teachers. When these failures come, turn to God. Pray. Pray that when the season is over that you’re able to look back with a thankful heart and kiss it fondly goodbye knowing that it served you and your future well. Romans 8:26-28 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.” Trust in God. Failure leaders to success. Find the beauty in your failure and weakness. I’m thankful for weakness for insults, for hardships, for persecutors, for difficulties, for boxes. For when I am weak, then I am strong. God makes it all right. He makes it beautiful. He will show me the way. He will guide and help me. He will love me. XOXO, A gearle who's failed but sees the beauty in it
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Abby & AndreaA college student trying to figure out the world with her mom by herside. Life through my lens (Abby). We all have different stories and these are only some of mine. Some funny, some adventurous, some hard. Sit back and relax. Enjoy. Archives
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