Missing The Mark: How To Move Forward After Failure

Have you ever missed an assignment? I mean known without a shadow of a doubt that you missed the mark on that thang?!

Today, I missed my assignment! (actually..it was two yrs ago, yes it took me that long to publish this 😬) I allowed my focus to be shifted by distraction which effected not only me but those God wanted to bless through me.

My husband and I went to a pizza place for dinner. At first, it was an awkward and slightly uncomfortable experience. We sat at the restaurant waiting for our food and watching what can only be described as a minefield of tension, anxiety, confusion, and disruptions. The longer we waited the more impatience grew.

Even still God continued to refocus me. He kept bringing the atmosphere to my attention. I prayed, over and over, calling that atmosphere back to Him!

Proclaiming His peace and joy in that place!

As more time went by I grew tired, hungry, and a little perturbed. People were getting their food, eating, and leaving....while we sat still waiting.

During this time God was showing me the angst and frustration both the manager and server were dealing with. So, I’m praying and trying as best as I can to keep my flesh out of it.

But if I’m honest, ya girl was getting hangry by this point and I know that it was nothing but God that kept me calm when after an hour they told us that our order had never even reached the kitchen. 🤪

*an eternity later*

Finally, our pizza was done...but it had olives, we specifically requested it without them as my drama queen taste buds cannot handle anything olives have even touched.

They began remaking our pizza and the manager was beyond apologetic and even discounted our meal. But by that time the manager and server were at each other's throat blaming the other for every mistake and taking turns scrambling from the kitchen to our table double-checking what the other had done.

Out came a free appetizer to hold us over and with not a second to spare on to my lap went my refill. The manager was mortified, I’m sure this night couldn’t have felt any worse for them. Surprisingly, I had peace heck I even laughed a little.

And funny enough I began to be grateful that we were in that place. I knew we were there for a reason. And I was even more grateful that these things happened to us and not another customer.

God used us to show love and extend grace even in their worst moments.

While eating, God began to speak to me about leaving a tip (our meal had been discounted to $0.00 at this point). He also wanted me to deliver encouragement to those women ( the server and the manager). I grew excited at the thought and right on cue, I became distracted again.

My pants were still wet from the drink, I was shivering and a tad hangry still.

🎥 cue a hunger & frustration, induced argument with husband

The argument set off a bomb 💥 of miscommunication which resulted in me leaving the restaurant in tears as I went to change into an extra pair of pants in the car. I’ll spare you the details and just say I got so caught up in my hurt that I left without giving them the tip or the word God gave me.

By the time we were almost home, and the tears had finally dried up, I realized that I missed my assignment! I left those two women there without giving them what they needed most.

The tears began to flow again...

This time I wasn't crying because my husband hurt my feelings, but because I understood the gravity of my assignment. I felt grief for those women and what they would lack as a result. As I cried and cried for them, my conviction began to turn into condemnation.

Sometimes we can get so caught up in the moment that we can miss what God is saying, revealing, and asking of us! Distractions come and go but we must begin to elevate what God has said over what we are seeing, feeling, or even lacking! Sadly, I didn’t understand the gravity of my actions until it was too late. The damage had already been done.

As I cried I heard God say, “write about it”.

I don’t know who else is going through this but let me tell you, God can take care of that person better than you ever could! Read that again sis and give that person back to God so he can finish it for you!!! Allow him to heal them, comfort them, and provide whatever we failed to!

We are NOT our mistakes!

We learn from them but they do not define us!

Forgive yourself and allow God to renew you so that you can get back on assignment ( stick around for PART 2 where we dive deeper into this)!

Ask God what he’s desiring to reveal to you through this hiccup and for the wisdom to receive it the way he intends instead of obsessing over it (points at self).

Allow him to build you with it…

Allow him to teach you through it...

Allow him to grow you and your discernment!

If you’ve experienced this or are now, shoot me a message and let me know I'm not alone. We are no less worthy as a result of our mistake, God still wants to use us and is waiting for us to give it back to him so that He can renew our faith in Him and confidence in who He created us to be!!

Have a hard time forgiving yourself? Me too sis! Stay tuned for PART 2 where we tackle this head-on and pray together for freedom from condemnation.

See you there, love y’all!