Stepping Out

April 21, 2017

About a year ago a good number of friends were talking about a book called Love Does. The book contains many short stories that are actually a bit shocking. I think that they are shocking because too many of us live rather planned and predictable lives. We are afraid or a least, I am often afraid to live out the things that I should be passionate about. One of the stories that I found particularly encouraging was on failure. I think we need to put failure into perspective. Failure can lead to all kinds of loss, pain, and embarrassment. Many people even give up for fear of failure.

The Unthinkable Happened

Bob Goff, the author of Love Does, faced a very traumatic incident as a waiter for a classy restaurant. He had worked his way up from being a bus boy to waiting on tables. He had just purchased a nice tuxedo, and it was his first day on the job as a waiter when the unthinkable happened. The Mexican food that he had eaten for lunch that day caused his stomach feel unsettled. Right while he was reaching across the table to serve his guess, the gas from his stomach burst forth into a belch. It was loud and long. After he finally stopped everyone just sat there in shock. They couldn’t believe what had just happened. One man threw down his napkin and got up to complain to Bob’s boss. Next Bob was fired.

Sometimes months or even years of preparation can be eradicated by one wrong move. Bob lost the job that day, and he had to pay the consequences for his mistakes. It took him another 6 months to pay off the tux, and once it was paid it off he decided to give it to a Good Will shop. Also he had to find a new job, but none of this was the end of the world. Bob moved on.  

Having Patience With Ourselves

Life is like this, sometimes things outside our control happen and we fail. Fortunately, God isn’t shocked by our failures. He isn’t embarrassed when we mess things up. It’s weird to think about, but failure is all a part of His design. We expect a toddler to fall down, and are okay with it when he does, but too often we don’t have patience for ourselves when we fall down. I find this especially helpful, as I often take matters too seriously. I need to remember that God is in control and as long as I am setting my sites on what’s pleasing to Him even my failures will work out for good. Hope this encourages you.  

Here’s a link for Bob’s book –