Once upon a time a little girl was learning to draw. She drew masterpieces though the animals looked like scribble and she pressed holes through her paper. Her mother would say “that’s wonderful darling! Let’s do some more tomorrow!”
Several tomorrows and masterpieces later, the animals looked a little more like animals and there were no more holes in the paper but she went outside the lines with her colour, and a PINK stripeless tiger? Whoever heard of such a thing! Her mother again would truthfully say “that’s wonderful darling! Let’s do some more tomorrow!”
Several more masterpieces, and several more tomorrows later the tigers were striped, the outlines obeyed, the colours perfected but a spill from her juice blurred a corner. Her mother again could truthfully say “that’s wonderful darling! Let’s do some more tomorrow!”
At no point does the mother lie. At no point should the child be ashamed that yesterday’s best is not as good as the next nor the next as good as tomorrow’s. Each day was her best though each day she improved.
Hopefully we’re all still growing up.
We’ve all made mistakes, but even our mistakes have incorporated the best we then knew to do.
Where you can see sin and error – go to your kids.
If you can’t see it yet – you will.
And that is good.
It is not for condemnation sake but for growth.
And grace.