Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

Daniel 11:35

Happy 4th of July! In celebration of American independence, we as Christians can also reflect on our freedom in Christ. Giving a life to Jesus is the wisest of decisions. 

But, sometimes at work, it feels like even the best of decisions–the most wise actions–go “boom” and become a disaster. I’m thinking about a luncheon event at a nonprofit I was part of that didn’t go as planned. The restaurant forgot about the reservation, even though it was confirmed the day before the event. Some of the guests went to the wrong location and decided to have lunch there instead. Others didn’t have the cell phone number of the event planner and didn’t show because of an emergency and an illness. Others thought it was an open event, rather than invitation-only and changed their minds but didn’t share their plans with the nonprofit. A luncheon planned for about 20 people became 5 people, including the nonprofit staff. What should have been a great time of connection for people who loved and adored the nonprofit became a disaster. The luncheon blew up.

It was at a debrief meeting that the event planner turned to me and said, “So, what lessons did we learn?” We learned an email the day before with driving directions would help guests find the location better. We learned to plaster cell phone numbers in every communication with guests. We refined the RSVP system so that guests knew that it was a special and exclusive event. The small changes made a big difference at the next luncheon, which packed out the restaurant.

Sometimes this life under Christ isn’t perfect even though we think and want it to be perfect. The best of choices may be painful in the moment when it goes wrong, but the lessons learned help us avoid future disasters. When it seems like that event, project, or team gets blown up, look for the item that will be spotless next time.

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© 2023, Mollie Bond. All rights reserved. Originally published at www.molliebond.org.