WE are continuing our serial reading of J.R. Millers The Beauty of the Imperfect. Near the end and at the end of the last posting, two thoughts stood out in particular:
1) The true science of living—is not to make no mistakes—but not to repeat one’s mistakes.
THAT exhortation I’ve heard or read often, beginning with my beloved stepfather who frequently instructed me to never fear making mistakes – the importance and value being in learning from them! …And:
2) An old man said that in reviewing his life he discovered to his great surprise, that the best things in his character and in his career, were the fruits of what he regarded as his failures and follies
WELL, this old man can attest to that, but this also reminded me of what David Brooks wrote in his excellent book, The Road to Character, Chapter Four – Suffering: “When most people think about the future, they dream up ways they might live happier lives. But notice this phenomenon. When people remember the crucial events that formed them, they don’t usually talk about happiness. It is usually the ordeals that seem most significant. Most people shoot for happiness but feel formed through suffering.”
I COULD comment at length on that, but think it best to use it the launch into our next reading segment. So with that…
In the inexorable blessings of Christ,
Joe
Neh. 8:10, Isa 30:15, Jas 1:2
*********
The Beauty of the Imperfect – Pt5
An old man said that in reviewing his life he discovered to his great surprise, that the best things in his character and in his career, were the fruits of what he regarded as his failures and follies. These defeats had wrought in him new wisdom, and had led to repenting and renewals of faith in God, and had thus proved sources of richest blessing and good. Probably the same is true in greater or less degree, of every life. We owe more to our defeats, with the humbling of the old nature, the cleansing of motive and affection, and the deepening of trust in God—than we owe to the prouder experiences which we call our successes.
We owe more to our defeats, —than we owe to the prouder experiences which we call our successes.
When we begin to recall the names of the men who have most influenced the world for good, we discover that many of them at least seemed to be defeated men and their life a failure.
“God forbid that I should flee away from them!” said Judas Maccabaeus, when with only eight hundred faithful men he was urged to retreat before the Syrian army of twenty thousand. “If our time has come, let us die manfully for our brethren, and let us not stain our honor.”
“Sore was the battle,” writes the historian, “Judas and his eight hundred were not driven from the field—but lay dead on it.”
That seemed a defeat—but there was no dishonor in it. It ranks indeed among the world’s noblest achievements. In no recorded victory, is there greater glory. The eight hundred died for freedom, and the untold blessings came to the nation and to the world from their work that day. Their defeat was but a mode of victory.
“No conflict, no story.” – Mark Batterson
“What if conflict is the “normal Christian life?”- Mark Batterson
It would be easy to fill pages with the names of individuals who have gone down in defeat—but who in their very failure have started influences which have enriched the world.
……. to be continued
