Reflect
Sometimes when we try to be helpful, to do something particularly kind for someone else, despite our best efforts, the gift we intend is not the one received. Generously offering to help with the dishes, we accidentally break a favorite cup; helping in the garden, we accidentally trample a favorite plant. The gift we intended was to let someone else rest, or to take a burden off their plate so they could relax, or finish something else. But in that moment, what they received seems nothing more than a broken dish. And yet, in the gulf between what was intended and what was received is another gift—a gift of opportunity.
Pray
Lord,
When life goes wrong, and even my best efforts only fail,
when shame hovers over me, and all my bread grows bitter and stale,
remember me in your grace, and let me not be afraid
to offer up my brokenness to you—and let your peace
be my healing aid.
Act
When something goes wrong, don’t be afraid to ask forgiveness. Let yourself be humbled before the disappointment, anger, or regret of another, and do not be afraid to let them say whatever it is they need to say. Their feelings and the intensity of their feelings may have nothing to do with you. The real gift of such a moment is found in the grace of mercy and forgiveness. And that is a gift from God, one we can never plan, only receive.
