My Daughter's First Sermon

Earlier this week, I told you of my recent, brilliant move that resulted in me flooding an upstairs bathroom. If you want to relive my stupidity and make yourself feel better, check out my previous post!Looking back, I had two takeaways from the experience that I want to share with you. One is for those of us currently struggling with regret (come back on Tuesday for that one). The other came unexpectedly from my daughter. I had texted her to tell her about my smooth move, and I think we can all learn from her response.Annika had recently experienced her own moment she wished she could take back. So, in the minutes after my carelessness, I tried to find a silver lining and let Annika see first hand that we all make mistakes and we live through them. I sent her a text, letting her know that her bathroom might not be in the same condition she’d left it in when she returns from school. Her four rapid-fire texts back to me could’ve been a sermon.1. “Water is better than fire.”She’s right. I’m grateful I didn’t leave a fire unattended for 10 minutes. Things were damaged, but life will go on. Even in the worst of scenarios, perspective is everything. I’ve walked alongside people as they’ve faced devastating repercussions for their decisions or actions. In every situation there’s a choice in how we look at our circumstances. In situations where we’re filled with regret and a sense of responsibility, sometimes it takes another person to help us see that it will be OK. Let’s be that other person the next time someone we know is in a place of deep regret.[bctt tweet="Even in the worst of scenarios, perspective is everything."]2. “Don’t beat yourself up over it.”Not only do we have a choice in how we see our circumstances, but we also have a choice in how we view ourselves. Nothing good will come from me continuing to tell myself what an idiot I was. It was a mistake. Mistakes happen. I could waste my energy feeling bad about the situation, or I could use that energy for good. I decided to get busy, picking up the mess and getting the right people on the phone to get the cleanup underway.3. “Your value is not in how timely your sinks are turned off.”I loved this for so many reasons. The statement is laughable. Of course I don’t find my value in my faucet-turning abilities. Yet actually seeing it texted in black and white made me realize that, on an emotional level, it’s easy to fall into that trap. When we fail in some way, we narrow in on one specific area of failure instead of realizing it’s one small sliver of what we did. It is in no way who we are!As a mom, I couldn’t help but be encouraged, too. If there’s one message I want my children to absorb, it’s that their identity isn’t tied to anything they do. Our identity is found in who we belong to. My value comes from being a daughter of the King. No amount of stupidity can change that![bctt tweet="As followers of Christ, our identity is found in Jesus. No amount of stupidity can change that!"]4. “I love you.”We always like to hear we’re loved… but when we’re struggling to love ourselves, those words are especially soothing to the soul. Let’s take a lesson from a 15 year old. The next time someone you know is filled with regret, let’s remind them they are loved and their action doesn’t change their value.As followers of Christ, we need to be people filled with compassion. A simple text exchange can make a difference. Who do you need to reassure today? Who could use encouragement during a season of regret? Let’s prove that love works. If you’re the one filled with regret, join me Tuesday for some help in finding freedom from your anguish.