Yes, I am glad that my children make mistakes-even big ones.

We all have our view of mistakes and the potential benefits of them. Many of us have read or written articles about people who failed but later went on to have great success stories. Edison's 1000 failed efforts to make the light bulb, Lincoln's failed political aspirations before becoming President, and Walt Disney's failed career due to his "lack of imagination" are staples of American inspiration. However, what about when the individuals making mistakes are our children? If it was our children mirroring the actions of Edison by borrowing money again and again...would we have faith? If it was our son enduring being smeared in the national presses from both parties as was done to our 16th President...would we at least wonder? If you were Walt Disney's parents, how would you handle his fits of depression and anger? When our children are experiencing failure, it raises a poignant question: Do we get excited then?

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One of the reasons that I stand in awe of God is found in the truth of the well-known passage, Romans 8:28: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." As a woman of whom God has forgiven much, I love much. Yet, I can see that He has caused all things to work for good--including my sin. That may shock you, but "all things" does mean "all things." Therefore, this amazing, gracious God I serve illustrates that He works all things for good, including my willful choices. How He does this is awe-inspiring and makes me worship Him, desiring to live a life that pleases Him. I see the hand of God moving in my mistakes.

Incidentally, many of these mistakes were made in my early 20's. That is not to say that I do not make errors now. I do. But the errors I made then were riddled with detour signs:

"Road Closed!"..."Bridge Washed Out!"...

"Danger Ahead!"...and more on the path of my life.

Yet, I chose them anyway. Some of them, I knew better, and, heaven help my sorry self, I chose them anyway. But...(and we all know that a "but' in a sentence practically eliminates what came before it)... He redeemed me and my choices.

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Why then do we, as parents, get so anxious when our children make poor or pathetic choices? Is not the same God able to redeem both them and their choices? I have 4 children, ranging from 7-23 years old. While I will not air their dirty laundry here, suffice it to say that they did not arrive here through immaculate conception. My kids have done some things that I knew MY CHILDREN would never do. MY CHILDREN have been empowered with the tools and confidence to make better choices. MY CHILDREN are from a fully-functioning home (is there such a thing?) and therefore will not be one of "THOSE CHILDREN."

Does anyone else hear themselves in these comments? I am learning that this error comes from the faulty primary premise that these are MY CHILDREN. They are not now, or ever were, or ever will be MY CHILDREN. They are His children, created for His purposes, for His plans. Not mine.

Ephesians 2:10 says: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." This means that He can work our children's mistakes for good too.

Perhaps looking at things from a different angle will help. Mistakes point us all toward our need for the saving grace found at the Cross. Therefore, when my children make mistakes, both grand and small, it is a chance, a choice, that can point them to the grace of God. In reading earlier verses of Ephesians 2, I find some encouraging things that we can believe for ourselves and for our children:

• God is rich in mercy (toward our children)

• He has not just love, but GREAT love (toward our children)

• He made (our children) alive together with Christ while (our children) were dead in (their) sin.

• He has raised (our children) up with Him and seated (our children) with Him in heavenly places

WHY has He done this?

Verse 7 explains: "In order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us (and our children) in Christ Jesus."

Of course in all these verses, the words "our children" are not in the text, but the point is that we as parents can see our children under the mercy of God--greatly loved by Him, alive with Christ even while dead in their sins, and raised up in heavenly places. We can act in faith, "seeing those things as though they were" and knowing that, just as He did for us, God can, will, and, does use all things for their good. Even their mistakes. Shalom.

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