The National Postal Museum has on display a collection of rare stamps. Surprisingly, the stamps that hold the most value are the ones that are considered mistakes—an airplane printed upside down or perforations in the wrong spots. All of these mistakes make the stamps worth more money. Frankly, I have a hard time seeing the beauty in them, and I think if I were to have possessed one of these rare finds, it might have found its way into the garbage. Yet it is those very mistakes that hold collectors in awe.
Some of my most valuable times with the Lord have been after I have made a mistake. For in my mistakes, I see the beauty of His perfection. When I fall short, He whispers His wise counsel sweetly in my ear. In my failures, I learn valuable lessons and see His amazing grace. He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
What does your “stamp collection” look like? Do you push the mistakes to the side because looking at them causes pain and guilt? What if instead we used them as opportunities to thank God for His amazing gift of forgiveness? What if we marveled at His greatness in light of our own shortcomings? How amazing it is that God loves us in spite of our mistakes! —Michelle Holladay