This is where I share RANDOM rants and ruminations, beliefs, lists, dreams, goals, frustrations, bargains, and social injustices (EVAGATION, n. the act of wandering; excursion; a roving or rambling). More about me than you wanted to know. You may not agree with me but I hope you share my belief that what makes America great is freedom to have and express differing views. Enjoy peeking into my public journal if you want to know that part of me I share here. Enjoy!
Trust takes years to build, seconds to break,and forever to repair. If its lost it's not easily found and if it is found its never the same again. (not sure who said it - probably many people)
This post reminds me of the attitude at City Hall when I was first elected Mayor of West Jordan. Everyone was deathly afraid to do anything because they were afraid of being fired if they didn't do exactly what the City Manager wanted them to do. Anyone who screwed up the least little bit was fired.
I brought a different perspective to City Hall. My perspective was that an employee who screwed up, but then recognized his/her mistake and was allowed to continue being trusted and continue doing their job was an immensely better employee AFTER they made the mistake than we would have gotten if we were to go out and hire someone new with less experience who had never made a similar mistake. The fact that they had made mistakes, ADMITTED their mistakes and LEARNED from them made them a stronger and a wiser - TESTED employee.
Trust is a two way street. If the person who is supposed to be trusted feels that they can never make a mistake without being thrown away, then they can never rise to their full potential. In order for them to rise to their full potential they must have a strong sense of faith that the trustor will not discard them, but will allow them to learn from their mistakes.
That's the way God does it. He never gives up on us just because we make mistakes . . . as long as we learn from our mistakes and keep trying to do better. He knows that through the mistake -repent - mistake - repent process we will eventually become perfectly trustworthy even if we didn't start out being very wise or trustworthy at all.
If we want to be forgiven of our mistakes and allowed to learn from them and be able to give it another try and another try and another try until we finally get it right we have to be willing to allow others the same latitude. It is only those who THINK they are perfect, but who actually aren't, who are dumb enough to ignore this eternal truth . . . and they do so to their own everlasting regret.
The biggest difficulty in rebuilding trust is not in the one who made the mistake, the biggest weakness and the biggest stumbling block to rebuilding trust is very often in the person who did not make the mistake but will not forgive the one who did.
God said, "I the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." Only he has the right not to forgive because only he is perfect. Anyone who is not perfect is REQUIRED to forgive if they want forgiveness.
Expect people to make mistakes. Expect people to let you down. Expect people to be human. THEN, you can expect them to learn from their mistakes and then they can grow to be fully trustworthy. Otherwise, you're just depending on dumb luck to hook you up the first time with the one person who is perfectly trustworthy at all times and who is therefore, probably a much better person than you are.
[Now, before anyone goes off thinking my use of the term "you" in the forgoing expression of my opinion means any one single person in particular, and therefore they should be offended, please rest assured that it does not. I am speaking in general terms . . . "you" means ALL of us, not just you.]
This post reminds me of the attitude at City Hall when I was first elected Mayor of West Jordan. Everyone was deathly afraid to do anything because they were afraid of being fired if they didn't do exactly what the City Manager wanted them to do. Anyone who screwed up the least little bit was fired.
ReplyDeleteI brought a different perspective to City Hall. My perspective was that an employee who screwed up, but then recognized his/her mistake and was allowed to continue being trusted and continue doing their job was an immensely better employee AFTER they made the mistake than we would have gotten if we were to go out and hire someone new with less experience who had never made a similar mistake. The fact that they had made mistakes, ADMITTED their mistakes and LEARNED from them made them a stronger and a wiser - TESTED employee.
Trust is a two way street. If the person who is supposed to be trusted feels that they can never make a mistake without being thrown away, then they can never rise to their full potential. In order for them to rise to their full potential they must have a strong sense of faith that the trustor will not discard them, but will allow them to learn from their mistakes.
That's the way God does it. He never gives up on us just because we make mistakes . . . as long as we learn from our mistakes and keep trying to do better. He knows that through the mistake -repent - mistake - repent process we will eventually become perfectly trustworthy even if we didn't start out being very wise or trustworthy at all.
If we want to be forgiven of our mistakes and allowed to learn from them and be able to give it another try and another try and another try until we finally get it right we have to be willing to allow others the same latitude. It is only those who THINK they are perfect, but who actually aren't, who are dumb enough to ignore this eternal truth . . . and they do so to their own everlasting regret.
The biggest difficulty in rebuilding trust is not in the one who made the mistake, the biggest weakness and the biggest stumbling block to rebuilding trust is very often in the person who did not make the mistake but will not forgive the one who did.
God said, "I the Lord will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." Only he has the right not to forgive because only he is perfect. Anyone who is not perfect is REQUIRED to forgive if they want forgiveness.
Expect people to make mistakes. Expect people to let you down. Expect people to be human. THEN, you can expect them to learn from their mistakes and then they can grow to be fully trustworthy. Otherwise, you're just depending on dumb luck to hook you up the first time with the one person who is perfectly trustworthy at all times and who is therefore, probably a much better person than you are.
[Now, before anyone goes off thinking my use of the term "you" in the forgoing expression of my opinion means any one single person in particular, and therefore they should be offended, please rest assured that it does not. I am speaking in general terms . . . "you" means ALL of us, not just you.]
I love this Debbie. Hope you don't mind -- but I am stealing it for Facebook!
ReplyDelete