Every night when I go to bed my mind floods with the shortcomings of my day. Most of the time my distractions stem from my own mistakes. The snippy words barked at my children in frustration. The letter I forgot to send. The phone call that I meant to make. The laundry in the washing machine never made it to the dryer. Did I feed the dog?

If I let my mistakes run rampant, my mind never lets me sleep. The only consolation I find is in the knowledge that I am basically good. Yeah, I am weak. Yes, I am full of mistakes. But, for the most part, I am basically good.

I am not so naive as to believe that there are no evil people in this world, but I am genuine in my belief that most of us are basically good. We all possess faults but those faults allow us room to grow and become better through our efforts.

I think this quote and message of fallibility is a necessary one right now. Our world is aching from the hurtful, disrespectful, angry attitudes that are screaming through the words, actions, and Tweets of our society. If people would stop, take a breath, and remember we are all weak, full of mistakes, but basically good, we would find that starting point that is desperately needed in healing the divisions of our country and world.

Today, before you fly off the handle at the driver who cuts you off or lay awake beating yourself up for something you did, say a prayer of thanks for the opportunities to be better people and send up a petition for universal understanding that we are all basically good.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 

10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.