"God, in all my endeavors, give me enough failure to keep my hand clenched in yours and enough success to always remind me you are on my side." It happens all the time. The door opens and someone steps confidently into a room or out into the world. Everyone turns to look and that person strides on with confidence slightly noticing the envious stares. It's going to be a good day. Then finally someone works up the nerve to tell them about the toilet paper stuck to their shoe and streaming behind them. Or maybe to tell her her skirt is stuck in her pantyhose. Perhaps his zipper is down or his pants are ripped. The confidence suddenly escapes only to be replaced with mortal embarrassment.
People everyday pour their hearts into projects only to have their efforts fall short. It's easy to begin with great ideals and visions of what will be. But as we go the road gets rougher. As time goes on we grow tired. A pastor pours his heart into a sermon that puts people to sleep. A community activist organizes an event that no one attends. A writer pens a book that sells only a few copies. An architect designs a building that people think is ugly and worthless. Their efforts may have been good and well intended. But there are so many things over which they have no control. Their confidence is shaken.
"Unless the Lord builds the House, they labor in vain that build it." I can try all day every day, but I can't make things fall into place. People in sales can choose a good product and get out and sell. Sometimes sales are good, sometimes they are not. Pastors can preach and teach and lead, sometimes folks follow and sometimes they do not. Teachers can study and plan and build up, sometimes students show up prepared to learn and sometimes they show up on drugs or worn out from the previous night. Workers at a ski resort can clean and organize and prepare. It may or may not snow. People may or may not have the money to go skiiing. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail. Successful people have learned how to deal with failure. We fail, fail again, and fail again. But we kept getting up and going again until we succeeded. We didn't quit. We can't be disheartened by failure. So many things are out of our control. Pray and keep praying as we try and keep trying. When we put our trust in God and realize we are not reponsible for the things not in our control then we can trust that eventually our dreams will come true.
And so I put my hand in God's hand. And I know that as a I meet trials I can keep pushing. And I pour my heart out and give my time to make the best effort I can. And some will think it's not enough. But I am responsible only for my efforts. I am not reponsible for the things I cannot control. And when things beyond my control fail me, I will trust him more.
