USING OUR MISTAKES

For a while, my job required me to be at a 7AM meeting in Oak Forest, and a Noon meeting in Carol Stream.  In my quest to find the quickest way, I found myself going east on I 80 to the Tri State Tollway:  a good 8 miles out of my way.   As I drove northward, I mumbled under my breath at myself….man that was a stupid mistake.  How did I not figure this out before I left!  DUH!

After a bit I calmed down, and prayed.  I was upset over a few extra minutes of driving, when I had so much to be thankful for.   I relaxed as much as you can in a construction zone.  I was in the left lane, a semi in front of me in the next lane, and a white and gold Lexus about 40 feet in front of me, when the semi began to merge into my lane…and almost right into the Lexus….I instinctively hit the horn, the trailer went back to where he belonged, and the driver of the Lexus rode on, oblivious to what had just happened.

At that point, I realized something about God, and how He uses His people.  My normal reaction would be that God made me do that stupid mistake in order for me to be right there to save the person in the Lexus.  Nope…I believe that we make our mistakes on our own will, not because God makes us.  What He DOES do, is take the situation we caused by our mistake, and uses it for His good. 

We all make mistakes…some big, some small.

God didn’t make me take the wrong turn, both on I 80, and with other choices in my life. He used those situations to teach me and bless me.  Think about a bad choice you've made…and think about what God did for you despite the mistake…forgiveness when you ask, and probably a blessing you could not have imagined.

I have a list of mistakes…that were erased by Jesus on the cross…and a bigger list of blessings that God has given me despite my mistakes…

I hope that you have enjoyed my story. 

Larry Ruger