I'm reading a book entitled "Down, but not out." It's written by a guy named Barry Minkow. I've never heard of the author but the title was intriquing.
In the Introduction to the book the author explains why he wrote the book. He says "My resume is filled with failures." He goes on to add that if you have failed miserably in life, the book is for you.
We have all made mistakes. I certainly would do some things differently given the opportunity. And when we make mistakes we can think that life is over for us. But it's not. Now, we may have to live with the consequences of our mistakes but, our God is "the God of the second chance."
In the book, Minkow talks about one's "failure baggage." What he means by that is that whenever a person fails, they carry baggage with them that basically represents the scars of their failure. That "failure baggage" has he refers to it,can actually help us become better people. We can become more sensitive to others who have failed.
I have learned from experience that the people who have failed or often more forgiving and more willing to help. The reason? I think it's because they know how it feels. They aren't so filled with pride to think "everyone should have their act together." They remember how it feels to hurt.
So, did you make a mistake yesterday? What about the day before? What about last month? Last year? Well, join the club. We've all made them. But, by God's grace you can move on and use your "failure baggage" to help others.