This Year I Am Thankful for My Mistakes

In reflection we sometimes beat ourselves up over our mistakes and hide them behind a mask. How do you get to the point of authentic wholeness?

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Well, It is that time of year again where we often sit and reflect on what the year has been like to us, how it has treated us, and how we have treated it. We reflect on time that was wasted and whom we have wasted it on. It is something about the holidays a time of cheer, joy, and family that causes us to focus on what we lack.

The idea of this blog entry came from a moment in my bathroom. Oh, such revelation I get from a room with a toilet, sink, and tub (lol). I stared in the mirror and different experiences were coming into my mind as I was thinking about Thanksgiving prep and pondering how to stretch out a dime and nickle. I would say stretch a dollar but even that is a luxury in this current season of "God what are you doing???". Another blog for another time (lol). So, as past experiences ran through my mind, I lifted up my hand and thanked God for my mistakes.

"Thankful for your mistakes?" you may ask, but in that moment it all made sense. Yes, I hear others say time and time again that they would never be where they are if it wasn't for the bad turns and choices that they have made but are you truly at peace with what had to happen? I believe some people are suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. We are not necessarily grateful for what it taught us, we are just thankful that we survived. Huge difference. The difference being that if we ever were to encounter that same mistake we would fall apart. When we truly learn and are grateful for a mistake, it no longer haunts us and we are truly at peace. Not just having lip service.

I am thankful for my mistakes because God chose my wrong choices to still grow and sculpt me for purpose. My mistakes made me stronger, it made me guard my heart with all diligence and not place a permanent wall around it. My mistakes made me realize that I had to make them in order to understand and become compassionate in the mistakes others make.

As this holiday stands as another season of reflection, allow God to guide you through the healing and purpose of what all you had to go through. It becomes easy to fall into condemnation because of the "coulda's, shoulda's, and woulda's" and that is where depression and the darkness of the past starts to creep in. Ask God to give you peace as you live out the steps that He has laid out for you. In time you will see that the mistakes of your past were already imprinted for your making and not your shaking. It is all part of the divine beautiful process, be thankful in that. I know I am.