Résumé writing tips, according to the internet: One site says, “Don’t write it over night.” Another site touts, “Free résumé writing in 15 minutes”. 

What? As my teenagers would say, “What even is that?”

I was . . am. . .a procrastinator. In fact, by writing this blog I’m putting off something I need to get done. But I’m the worst kind of procrastinator. I’m the kind who foolishly thinks the quality does not diminish because it’s thrown together at the last minute. I want high quality work without a lot of time. I want to sprint as hard as I can to the finish line instead of working hard for 26 miles. I’m not alone in this, I know. It’s everywhere. We want to lose 50 pounds, but we want to do it in 2 days and if we don’t see immediate progress then we give up. We want to lose 50 pounds but still eat bacon cheeseburgers and watch The Biggest Loser from the couch and never get up and do what it takes to make it happen.

I once read a book called “Stuff Christians Like” by Jon Acuff. It was hysterically funny, but also made me think, which is a major plus for me. I like to laugh and think. But, at some point in the book, towards the end, he talks about how life is messy. And people, in general, get burned out in ministry because it’s not a straight path. Loving people is hard work because people are messy. People are messy because we live in a postlapsarian world. We will make mistakes, probably the same ones over and over again until we finally figure it out, only to find we’re making different mistakes.

Mistakes are a part of growing, and a part of life.

I hate making mistakes. Yet, I do it all the time. I can’t help it. It’s like I’m wearing a sign that says, “Hello, my name is Emilee the Mistake Maker. What can I totally mess up for you, today?”. . .not really. . .well, kinda.

I’ve learned, OK not true because I have to be reminded of this constantly, I’m learning that when I embrace my mistakes as part of life and lean into them instead of run from them, I can more easily see what causes them to occur in the first place. Then I can find a way to make it better.

Lean into mistakes and peace be the journey.