| Pastor's
Pen
by Buzz Dahlen There are a couple things that have come to mind to visit with you about this week. I don’t know, but it just seems like some things aren’t as high of a priority as they used to be and other things are now back up there where they are supposed to be. If you are normal you have had times when you were so focused on one thing, and it became so immediate, that you lost sight of the important. I am sure you have heard it before; too often, we put things before people. When we do that we miss so much of what God wants us to have. We get fixed on some goal, some task and miss out on those who are standing right beside us. It happens in life all the time. It happens between a husband and a wife. It happens between parents and their children. It happens between friends. It happens even in church. We get going on something and completely miss what is happening around us. I know I said it too many times, “when did he grow so tall?” or “How did she grow up so fast?” God wants us to enjoy today and the people He put in this day for us. We have no promise that those around us will be around us tomorrow. We need to make the most of them today. Sure there are things to get done, but what good is the accomplishment if we don’t have those who are important, around us to share in our accomplishments? So, slow down, don’t get caught up in the immediate and miss out on the important. The other thing that has been on my mind this past week is that we all make mistakes. We all make them, there’s no getting around them. Sure, it is a lot easier to point out someone else’s mistakes. It makes us feel better when the focus is not on our mistake, doesn’t it? We all make them. Sure some mistakes have harsher consequences, some have longer ramifications. But they are still just mistakes. When someone makes a mistake, we have the responsibility to consider our own failings and forgive. We have all read the verses; “Who are you to judge…” “Take the log out of your own eye…” He who is without sin let him cast the first stone…” We all know them, yet we still find ourselves holding the mistakes of a person against them. One of the problems that we have in our society is that typically you are only as good as your last mistake. You see it all the time in sports. A player could be having a great game and make one mistake that causes the team to lose. All the work, the hustle, the good stuff is so quickly forgotten and only the mistake is remembered. It’s like that in life. Someone can care for you, love you and give everything for you and too often, when they make a mistake all that was done is forgotten and that mistake is held against them. We all make mistakes, mistakes are a part of life, mistakes are a part of the learning process, and mistakes are a part of growing up. Yes, some mistakes are very costly, but we have to understand that we all make them. So, you might be finding yourself wishing you had spent more time with a loved one and beating yourself up about it. My encouragement to you is, you made a mistake forgive yourself and don’t waste another day. Or, you may be holding someone’s mistakes against them. My encouragement to you is, forgive them. Don’t let a stupid mistake wipe away the years of good things that have been done. Life is too short and once they are gone, there’s no getting them back. Do not waste another moment, forgive, forget, and enjoy the day and the people God has put in your life for this, oh so brief time. |
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