April 16

It was, as is often the case during the Spring months, a lovely evening for baseball.

That's Brady on the left. He pitched the first two innings of his team's game, and although it wasn't his best outing, he only gave up one earned run against a very tough opponent. 

I had to leave early for an Elders' board meeting at church, but when I got home Adam shared that despite a solid outing on the mound, Brady was a bit salty after the game because he thought he should've done better. And that comment made me think.

I've always been a perfectionist. I've spent a large part of my adult life learning that it's okay to make mistakes and to do things imperfectly. And because of that, I'm often trying to remind my kids that I don't expect them to be perfect.

It would be nice to not make mistakes, of course, but I'd argue that mistakes are beautiful because they make room for grace. And grace, when employed liberally, unites us. It fosters forgiveness and compassion. And it's amazingly freeing for both the giver and the recipient. 

So today I'm thankful for the reminder that it's okay to err.