Simply Heart & Soul: Editing Error

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  Psalm 139:23-24 (KJV)

I am the queen of error.  I tell everybody I know, if something goes wrong, blame me, because usually I am the cause.  Yep, sad, but true.  If something is lost, it’s usually because I put it in an odd place.  If something breaks, it is usually me that breaks it.  

Several years ago, after my youngest daughter got baptized, we took a few minutes to blow dry her hair.  As quick as we could, we returned to our pew.  About the time we sat down, the pastor interrupted his sermon with an apology, and proceeded to ask some of the men to check around because he smelled something burning.  Soon, we all did.  Turns out….the blow dryer had caused some electrical problems.

Another time, when my oldest daughter was eleven or twelve, she got stuck in an elevator, along with her two beloved buddies. They were heading down from the 5th floor after a 4-H meeting.  Just before landing on the ground floor, they got stuck and had to be rescued.  My fault.  You ask, now how could that be your fault?  Well, I’ll tell you.  One day I told my daughter that “if you jump in an elevator just before landing, it will feel like you’re flying.”  She remembered.  Oops.  And jump they did-all three of them.  The next thing they knew, BLAM! The elevator crashed and stopped suddenly, causing the girls to fall on the floor.  After a panicked moment of silence as six gigantic eyes stared at one another, they belted out screams while banging on the door for help.  To calm themselves, for the next half hour, they sang--Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, etc.—creating quite a stir in the city annex building that day.

Oh, dear reader, the error of my ways is far reaching!  You may even see it in this post! 

My daughter and I sometimes edit each other’s writing.  We have discovered that even though we can’t readily see our own mistakes, we can recognize each other’s quickly.  Isn’t that how it goes in life?  We can see each other’s mistakes so fast, but what about our own?

My daughter wrote a humorous post on her blog about the dreadful task of editing a book that she is writing.  But every good writer knows the necessity of it.  As I think about it, anything good is generally edited.  I edit complicated recipes as I cook, making sure that I added everything.  I edit my luggage when I pack for a trip, making sure that I didn’t forget anything.  We just went to see the wonderful movie “Courageous.”  It was exceptional and I suspect, a lot of editing went into it.   

You know something else that needs constant editing?  My heart.

Sometimes, I fail to see my own error. 

So, I find myself needing to ask God to edit me.  And let me tell you, when I ask, He does!

It may not be my idea of fun, and it is generally a painstaking process, but, being how I am the queen of error, it sure is necessary! :) 

Rose calling card graphic from Little Birdie Blessings