A few months ago, I cooked a big batch of food so Seth and I would have enough food for the rest of the week. I knew we had some busy evenings coming up and wanted to knock out my time in the kitchen early on so neither of us would have to worry about cooking later.

It was a good plan—except after we ate supper that night, we both forgot to put the Dutch oven filled with food back in the fridge. 

And we didn’t realize our mistake until we were ready for supper the next night. 

“Can you heat up supper while I get my stuff set up for my writing group tonight?” I asked Seth.

“Sure.” Seth opened the fridge, then hesitated. “What do we have for supper?”

“The hamburger and rice. It’s in the Dutch oven.”

“This Dutch oven?”

I turned to see Seth pointing at the Dutch oven still on the stove from the night before. He lifted the lid to reveal so many leftovers, now wasted.

Heat rose in my face. I felt so angry—not with Seth, but with myself. How could I have forgotten to put the meat in the fridge after we ate yesterday? I’d been waiting for it to cool a bit first, but how had I completely forgotten?

I hate wasting food. We’d wasted meat and rice and veggies. I’d wasted time cooking. Seth wasted time washing all the dishes I’d used to cook. 

So much waste.

Seth offered to quickly cook some eggs since we didn’t have many other options, and since I had to get ready for my Zoom writers group in about half an hour. Both of us were quiet… disappointed, regretful, and feeling like we’d made a terrible mistake.

But before we ate our actual supper—egg sandwiches, which were delicious, by the way—Seth prayed and mentioned our lost meal.

And I realized something.

What good was it to let one thing ruin our night?

Why would we withhold forgiveness from ourselves when God has forgiven us for so much more? 

I love the words of Ephesians 4:32, and I think it applies to the way we treat ourselves, too. Paul writes, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Seth and I had to forgive ourselves for the mistake, because mistakes happen. And instead of sitting in regret, we could take this story as a lesson for the future. I don’t think I’ll forget to put our leftovers in the fridge for quite a while, after that.

So when we feel like one thing might ruin our day, let’s try not to wallow in bitterness.

Let’s try to be gentle with ourselves, because we all make mistakes. And let’s bring it back in perspective to the One who created us, loves us, and forgives us.

In the light of eternity, maybe one mistake doesn’t need to ruin a whole day.

And never forget… you are onederfully created.

Love,
Becca