FREE-FAILING

I feel a sense of failure almost constantly. I couldn’t tell you how it began or whether it is just a part of who I am, but lately I have been considering embracing failure as a positive life-style choice! There are definite positives to failure as well as negatives. Artisan had some great stuff on failure in its Autumn Issue. For those not lucky enough to receive what really is a GREAT publication (always brutally and helpfully honest) Let me share the best failure related quotes with you:

“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavour.” Truman Capote
Craig Detweiler then goes on to chat about how aiming high and dreaming of far-fetched successes might be the “failure” of many an aspiring artist but they are also positive and important qualities lacking in the Christian community.

“Anybody can sympathise with the sufferings of a friend but it requires a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend’s success.” Oscar Wilde
Wilde hits the nail on the head there (again) I reckon. It’s easy to presume as Christians secure in our identities and trusting in God for our futures that we are above petty jealousy, but in my case at least, it’s not true. Some of the toughest times to be a friend seem to be when you are having no success and a mate has great news that they need you to delight in with them. I guess that being called to be different isn't always about being immune to such things but going through them with Jesus and relying on his help and grace.

“More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered prayers.” St. Teresa of Avila
Since I read this, I remind myself of it often and can always think of a recent example of its truth.

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
How much do other people’s judgements of us or at least our perceptions of their judgements stop us from doing this?