"On Being a Blunderer"

blunder: n. A clumsy or embarrassing mistake.

grace: n. Elegant movement; balance or poise.


Some of you have it all together. I am not one of those. I am more of a blunderer. Over the years I have learned that does not mean I am a failure. It simply means that "grace" will never be a description applied to me. 

A friend and I decided to try out the food of a local restaurant using the current method of take-out. Due to the pandemic of COVID-19, groups of people are not allowed to gather together but many restaurateurs make their fare available by means of pick-up and delivery.

We perused the online menu, made our choices and ordered. The food was to be ready by 5:30, so we headed on over. The restaurant was in a different location than I thought, but GPS easily delivered us.  

We had arrived early, and the parking lot was empty--duh--so we sat, waiting for the text message telling us our order was ready at the pick-up window. 

While waiting, we were discussing the best way to get back to the house upon leaving. I have been in the area plenty of times before, but with traffic and three lane choices it can be confusing as to the correct lane one needs to be in coming up to the stop light--left, center, or right. One lane heads downtown, another to the freeway, and then there's the correct one. I decided to walk out to the street and check so there wouldn't be a mix-up when we exited the lot. 

Confirmation was made--We should be in the middle lane in order to be heading the direction we needed to go.

It has been almost a year and a half since I fell and broke my jaw while walking across a street. My boot caught the top of a raised surface in the crosswalk, and down I went. Ever since then, I pay very close attention to the surface I am walking on. Head down, I started back to the car. I came around the right rear bumper to get in the passenger side and, as I reached for the door handle, the door opened. It was a young woman, laughing heartily. Another car had pulled in beside us, and I was getting ready to open the door on the wrong car! "You've just made my day," she said. I was laughing as well, though maybe a bit hysterically. My unspoken thought was, I'm glad to hear that, but it was sincere. Laughter does bring joy.

I have always admired women who are what I view as classics. In my mind, I would like to be one who has poise and grace, is soft-spoken and just plain lovely. Nothing about me falls in those categories, and yet...I have been made in the image of God, and He is well-pleased.

Self-acceptance is a gift from Him, and I am grateful for that. He has taught me to accept myself and to laugh at myself as well. I have no doubt He is entertained and chuckles as well.