Last night I really, really blew it! Sort of like the man who recently sold his wife's $23,000 wedding ring for just $5 at a garage sale blew it. Of course, many men would say the first mistake he made was buying his wife a $23,000 wedding ring! But at least that's the kind of mistake that made someone happy...
I don't have a $23,000 wedding ring, nor does my husband. So my huge mistake didn't involve selling anything of great value cluelessly. But it did cost me money I don't have to spare.
Last night, about 10:02 Pacific Time to be exact, I foolishly lost my opportunity to purchase at a substantial savings a set of plane tickets I need for a speaking engagement this fall. I had been on the computer for an hour and had the tickets queued up and ready to be purchased. But I took a moment to look at some other dates, thinking I had until midnight to make my purchase. When I went back to buy the tickets I needed, the price had been irrevocably raised by $250!
I blew it!
Turns out the sale went off at midnight Central Time. Bummer. I had been watching those tickets for the past three days, ready to buy them but still uncertain about my exact plans. Thus I'd waited until what I thought was the last minute. Turns out I missed the last minute by a few minutes!
Of course, I'll just wait it out,hoping the prices go back down. I don't need the tickets for several months and I can't afford to waste money on these tickets. I found out this morning that the man who sold his wife's expensive wedding ring accidentally was fortunate enough to have it returned. I'm hoping my mistake results in similar grace.
And that's what I'm grateful for today: grace.
I'm thankful for grace every day, actually, and cognizant of it almost as many days. I blow it a lot!
So I don't know how and I don't know when, but I know that even in this blunder of mine God will somehow work all things together for good. Isn't it wonderful to have a gracious God who has your back, even when you're lying flat on it?
Did you blow it this week? We all did. Somewhere along the way, most of us probably snapped at someone who did nothing to deserve such treatment, spilt something that costs us extra labor, burned something, missed something, forgot something, broke something, ran over something, overlooked someone, or sold something of great value accidentally. Ok. Maybe only a couple of people did that last one. And maybe I'm the only one who missed out on a $250 savings in the matter of lost minutes. But we've all blown it in some way...large or small.
Today let's thank God for the fact that on days like this we can strip ourselves of our shame and guilt and regret, taking a running leap from our perch of past mistakes, and dive into his bountiful pool of mercy and swim around in His abundant grace...all day long!
Praise You, Lord, You are gracious and I am in desperate need!
Do you want to share how you blew it this week? I wouldn't mind if you did. In fact, it might help me feel like the ring-selling-husband and myself are in good company. But if you share, also remember that God's grace is abundantly sufficient!
Labels: grace, The Summit
