A reasonable amount of time

I started a part-time job recently. To say that the job forces me to work outside of my gift group is an understatement. A good friend of mine owns a business. The employee who performed these tasks before me recently discovered that she has a malignant brain tumor, so I am filling in to help my friend. The woman is receiving treatment with the intent to return to work.

Being new and stupid has its advantages. The way I see it, I have a reasonable amount of time - about a 6 week window - where my mistakes are easily blamed on a learning curve. After that, it’s pretty much incompetence. The job is full of attention to detail, focused tasks and organizational requirements. You’re smiling right now, aren’t you?

As of this writing, I have not made any huge accounting errors or a mistake that cannot be fixed, but I have laughed at myself a time or two as I have slipped off into a daydream in the middle of a task that requires my complete attention. I just go back to the beginning and start again.
Today, as I sat at the desk and thanked God that the company had been audited before my arrival, I was once again reminded of the grace extended to me.

I have been concerned about the polarity of Christian opinion this election season, and admittedly, there are fellow Christians that I strongly disagree with. “A country divided” is a phrase that I have heard many times in recent years, with red and blue states becoming almost prideful about their leanings. But a Church divided? I do not remember a time in contemporary history when Christ’s Church has had more fundamental differences of opinion, and even though I believe that many of these opinions are righteous and honorable, I cannot help but wonder if the disagreement overshadows their virtue altogether.

God then reminds me of the reasonable amount of time that He extends to us all. I have often been thankful for the chance to make mistakes and start again. I must offer the same learning curve grace to my fellow believers – all while allowing their ideology to test my own faulty thinking. I honestly believe it is a Spirit-led process.

But at the end of the day, particularly this Election Day, I think it might be prudent to lovingly ask each other, “When does our collective stupidity become incompetence?” Because, in less than 24 hours, there will be no more candidates or campaigns or pollsters to blame.