Learning from our Painful Mistakes (7/21/2009)

Last night we went to a friend's house for a joint Family Home Evening including dinner and time playing in their pool and on their trampoline, toys that we do not have. With a 3 year old and a 2 year old, we were especially vigilant, yet in spite of our best efforts, the 3 year old fell on the trampoline, hit her head on a spring, and ultimately wound up with 3 stitches in her left temple.

As we sat in the waiting room at the pediatric clinic waiting to get the stitches, I felt sad for her. I knew that I had done everything I could without interfering with her fun, yet things still went wrong. My thoughts then turned to how our Father in Heaven must feel for us as well. He gives us direction then gives us our agency, knowing full well that without His direct supervision we can - and probably will - be injured. And just like the stitches were able to fix the cut, we have repentance that can help us recover from the ill effects of sin.

Yes, this was a painful lesson for my daughter, but with any luck she will learn from it and exercise greater caution in the future when she finds herself on a trampoline. I hope that we can do the same as well - as we repent of the mistakes we make along the way, hopefully we will learn from them and be able to avoid the pain of having to review the lessons again.