God of Blunders (Mine)

Have you ever really blown it? I mean you had it all worked out in your thinking, but when you went to take action you just messed it all up. Your heart was right, you had good counsel, you even double checked to make sure most of it was sound logic. But still that thing you intended to be good just came out bad. Well, I have. As a matter of fact I seem to do it on a regular basis. The more I read in the Bible about Peter's early ministry years the better I feel because no one, and I mean no one, blew it from time to time like Peter. Well, except me. I was watching the movie "The Passion" the other night and was reminded that even though it was God's will for the temple police to come and take Jesus into custody, Peter all of a sudden pulls out a sword and cuts off one of the men's ears. Where he got the sword I'll never know. And on top of that many commentators believe that he was actually aiming for the soldiers head and just missed. You talk about blunders. This was a major thinking error to say the least.

In the scene taken from the Bible Jesus picks up the ear and restores it to the side of his capture's head.    What a picture of grace. Was he healing the man to show mercy and grace or was Jesus doing what he always does in so many of our lives, fixing a blunder? I believe it was both. Jesus knew Peter's heart was right, he was just trying to protect his master, but he did it in haste and it got messy. Thank God he remembers our frame that we are but dust. God is so good to us, especially when we blunder.

I entitled this blog "God of Blunders" because we make 'em.  Blunder is defined in the dictionary as 1) to move clumsily or carelessly; flounder; stumble. 2) to make a foolish or stupid mistake. 3) to say or do clumsily or poorly; bungle. That about sums up some of my least favorite maneuvers in my short time in ministry. I am so glad that God knew what he was getting when he found me. Because if he didn't know then what he knows now, I would have been in trouble. Now all I need to do is to remember to extend that same grace to others. The other day I made a negative statement about a seriously hurting prospect in search of solace from a cruel world. Granted most of the cruelty was self-inflicted, but who am I to judge anyone so prematurely. I couldn't believe the arrogance and negativity I heard that had just come out of my own mouth. This person hadn't been off the streets three days and I was ready to turn them back over to a life of misery in my thinking. Well, let me assure you the Holy Spirit wasn't going to let me get away with that. He quickly reminded me of my own utter desperations just 10 years ago and how anyone looking at me would of said, "He's probably not going to make it." How would I have felt?

You know what? The Holy Spirit is right as always. So I had to swallow my pride, acknowledge my blunder, ask the Lord for mercy, and turn right around and pickup the phone to recant my statement with hat in hand. And you know what's even better than that? After I did all that I felt the peace and warmth and love of God come all over me. Imagine that, God really does give beauty for ashes. So next time you really blow it, clumsily stumble, flounder or bungle be sure to remember the God of Blunders is ready, willing, and able to turn our blunders into his wonders. Be blessed.