ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 19, 2023
Has there ever been a truly failed dream? Maybe, but I sort of believe that even when the desired end is not achieved, the dream is rarely an utter failure. I have learned so much from failure, and when you’ve had a lot of them, the classroom of learning is a nearly weekly experience. There is much to take away, and if we acquire something from the experience, I don’t know if it truly falls into the category of failure.
In Psalm 73, we read:
In heaven I have only you,
and on this earth
you are all I want.
My body and mind may fail,
but you are my strength
and my choice forever.
As I read those words, I feel assured that any failure will not have the final word. I’m not suggesting we seek failure just to test the theory, but the story of faith seems to suggest that God does not allow even the most dramatic of failures to define who we are. This for me is empowering, giving me the needed fortitude to continue to bring my gifts to God’s dream, believing that no matter how things might appear to end, there is a new day with new opportunities.
Give me the confidence to risk dreaming with you, O God of great things, for I desire to never be constrained by the fear of failure. Amen.
