Mistakes

The following was written by our Equine Program Director, Rebecca Buchholz:

“I’m sorry I forgot. I made a mistake,” I said. The sentence rolled off my tongue, as I admitted that I forgot to attend something important to this child. He was disappointed.

Sadly, our children are used to being forgotten. “It’s okay,” he mumbled, “it happens.”

It would have been so easy for me to let it go at that. To shrug my shoulders, accept the grace given me, and move on. But this wasn’t just any kid. This was one of the 36 kids that God entrusted to Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries and its staff. It was my duty and my calling to not leave it at that.

I took a deep breath, “No it’s not. It’s not okay that I forgot.” Startled, he looked up as I continued, “This was an important event for you, and you invited me. I should have written it down on my calendar so I wouldn’t forget it. I am sorry. Will you forgive me?”

Before I had even finished, his eyes grew wide with surprise. No longer was he forgotten. No longer did his event seem pointless. He was no longer powerless in this equation.

A smile spread across his face and he once more told me it was okay…with much more enthusiasm. “It’s really no big deal. There’s another one, and you could come to that!”

We would all like to be perfect parents. Perfect employees. We would all like to boast that we’re without fault. But we’re not. We’re imperfect people. But we are saved and covered by His grace and mercy. It’s through His grace and mercy that mistakes, like missing an event, can turn into life-affirming, relationship-building moments.

Everything changed between me and that boy. There was no longer an expectation of perfection from either of us. I was a messy human that needed to write things down in order to not forget. He was a messy human who had faults I needed to accept as well. Yet we were willing to accept each other’s messes and continue the relationship.

Everything changed for the better. Gradually, he understood what it was like to be shown Christ’s love. More importantly, he comprehended that he was worthy of receiving that love.

Thank You, Odd Fellows Lodge #207

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