We all make bad calls now and again. Poor judgments are silent reminders of our humanness. Unfortunately, some honest mistakes have claimed innocent lives, destroyed age-long relationships and even destinies.
Sometimes it’s the quest to do or be someone of significance that will create the opportunity for a jumbo size goof in public or in private.
At our last Students’ Marathon, we had our share of the bitter lesson of human error.
The teachers collating the results from the racers were having difficulty, so more hands joined them to assist and get the job done speedily.
Suddenly, our priority, though unspoken, shifted from getting the correct results to ending the event quickly. The urgent overthrow the important and the stage was set for chaos.
Once we got what we believed to be the result and the winning school was announced. Confusion stepped onto the podium.
A teacher from the school that was announced to have taken the 2nd place protested and demanded a recount. He vehemently insisted and we obliged. With shouts of No! No! No! from the crowd, it couldn’t be messier. But calm soon returned.
An independent observer came over to conduct the recount and sort out the messy arithmetic.
While this was going on, the school that was announced winner located at one corner of the stage, had the Trophy in hand and dance steps on their feet.
I was so sure this teacher demanding a recount was wrong. In fact, at some point I prayed he would be wrong. The embarrassment of being wrong should be his not ours, as the organizers.
Thanks to God, he was right.
An error had been made. 4 points made the difference between the two schools and we had to retrieve the Trophy from the school wrongly awarded and give to the rightful winners.
I was happy and sad at the same time. Sad that we sacrificed the important for the urgent and created unnecessary confusion but happy that the actual winners were the ones celebrating.
With every human error, we stand at the threshold of discovery. We may discover many whys and hows and hopefully, who and where we are in God and in the hearts of those with whom we have to deal.
Our interpretations of justice may be skewed based on our perceptions, ethics and other parameters. These are not the truth in themselves but may hold fragments of the truth. As brilliant as we think we are, we have blind spots.
The blessedness of human error should point us to the One who has never said, “I am sorry” to anyone. His plan is to make us perfect. No agenda can outclass that! He’s still working.
I apologized profusely to the audience and the school wrongly awarded the Trophy in particular. I subsequently asked the Sport Department of the County to write a letter of apology to this school. It was as painful for us to apologize and write them as it was for them to accept. They felt extremely undone and embarrassed and rightly so.
Problem is, if an apology or even a jail term for a crime committed does not suffice, something ominous is behind the curtain and if not arrested, a more catastrophic event looms.
Some people will rather you don’t question them, cross them or have reasons to say, “I’m sorry”. Some others are just too scared to be wrong. They handle offense or rebuke poorly and thus have fragile relationships.
As perfect as God is, He accepts apologies from mere mortals like us and doesn’t withdraw His gifts, callings and privileges given prior to our goofs. (Romans 11:29) If only we can relate to others like that.
Are you still beating yourself up on account of a recent mistake? The consequences may not vanish as you may wish but the steadfast love and grace of God is fresh every day.
You may be struggling to accept someone’s apology for wrongs done to you. Watch out for pride, it lurks in the darkest places with the false promise that “all’s fine”, when in fact, all’s wrong.
To be human is to live with a known or hidden weakness and be humble therewith.
Your dance steps may be goof steps, but if they’re from the heart to the Lord, He’ll receive them as delightful offerings.
Enjoy this video clip of the victory dance from the winning school at the Yei Students’ Marathon 2013.