no-mistakes-480There is, in our culture, an interesting pressure about correctness, about avoiding errors. It shows itself in words like competence, excellence, and perfection. It shows itself in how we treat each other in our friendships, in our families, in our professional lives. We are largely expected to behave without error as we navigate through our lives, and errors are met with scorn, disappointment, and sometimes anger. Mistakes are met with reprimands and rebukes, although often silent ones.We’re harsh with someone that cut us off, someone that didn’t say hello, someone that didn’t say the right thing.

I will admit than when others offend me, or make mistakes in judgment, I sometimes silently judge them unkindly. I tarnish their character in my mind. I am too harsh.

But more so, I am harsh with myself. If I say an errant comment or make a poor financial choice, I tend to fear all is lost. I beat myself up and worry I will be eternally tormented for it, or at the very least punished severely here on earth. I tend to see my mistakes as small or large chinks in my character, drawing me farther away from the Lord, from the Spirit, from my goals. Repentance is hard for me to accept fully. I always wonder if I have done enough, if I have really really been forgiven. Messing up just feels… irrevocable.

Have you ever watched a little child learn to speak? It’s fascinating, and it melts your heart. I am watching my three year old try again and again to say the right words, and that’s about as good as it gets in motherhood. There’s nothing more amazing to me than to know I can help someone learn communication. And learning to walk? Falling over and over and over but getting back up every time. It’s wonderful to watch, and it gives me enormous happiness to be a part of.

And here’s where I learned my lesson yesterday…

“I am but a a little child” I Kings 3:7

“…and a little child shall lead them” Isa. 11:6

“Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little a child, he shall not enter therein” Mark 10:15

“…cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive” 3 Nephi 9:22

“And who receiveth you as a little child, receiveth my kingdom” D&C 99:3

Children’s early attempts to communicate are not only accepted, they are applauded. It seems the worse the early language is, the more encouragement the child gets. My three year old hears words of encouragement every day about trying new things and not being afraid to fail. He hears “good try” and “keep working” from every corner. It wouldn’t ever occur to me to reprimand him for speaking incorrectly or not walking with a straight gait. I can’t imagine punishing him while he is trying so hard to learn. In fact, watching him mess up and try, try again gives me great joy.

I, too, am trying so hard to learn, but I keep messing up. I keep saying the wrong words, falling over my feet on the ground. I am learning to speak the language, I am learning to sound out the words of love and charity. I mess it up all the time. I make the wrong choice, I can’t seem to find my balance. I say something wrong, or I don’t say something when I should. The actions in my head don’t always turn into the actions in my feet.

But I’m trying. I’m trying over and over and over. And I’m listening for encouragement. And studying this yesterday gave me the most hope I’ve felt in a long time. Hope that I can be more encouraging, and that I can mess up and fall down and still be loved.

And I can cling to hope, knowing that the Lord is watching over me (and us), and smiling as I mess up yet again.

“Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers” D&C 112:10

The Lord is holding my hand while I gather my feet underneath me and try again.

Be gentle with each other today, we’re all trying to get the words out right and step in the right direction.

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  2. Looking Back, Moving Forward
  3. The Case for Shopping


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