Epic Failures and Unaccomplishments

Recently, author Jen Hatmaker posted a picture on her Facebook page of her daughter’s middle school journal.  Specifically, the photo showed the first page of the journal and the title of the journal—just four words saying, “Epic Failures and Unaccomplishments.”  

Immediately, I thought wow, I am so going to steal that as the title to one of my teacher talks.

So here we are.

 Epic Failures and Unaccomplishments.

I wouldn’t label my first year teaching as an “epic failure.”  I will say though that it provided plenty of “opportunities for growth” and “teachable moments.”

When I left that Catholic school after one year, I had no idea what I was going to do next.  I still wanted to teach, and so the next place I applied was to a newly created charter school, teaching 6-8 grade Language Arts.

I don’t remember much of my interview with the principal, but I do remember that he was concerned that I wasn’t certified to teach exceptional education students, that I had no experience teaching exceptional education students.  As this new school was specifically targeting these students, the principal was worried that I might be overwhelmed.

“I don’t want you to quit on me after a few weeks,” he said.

“No way,” I told him.  “I am not a quitter.  I am not going to quit on you.”

I got the job.

And then, I totally quit after three weeks.

I was sick constantly.  I taught in a large room that I shared with the math teacher.  We had six-foot-tall bookcases dividing the room.

Every one of my students had an IEP.

I had no idea what an IEP was.

One of the wisest decisions I have ever made—for everyone involved—was quitting that job.

And yet, I felt like a failure and being a failure was not something that sat well with me.  It doesn’t sit well with any of us, does it?

Today I want to point out something to you, something you may not have considered before.

The Bible is filled with “epic failures.”

We don’t think about the Bible that way, though, do we?

And yet the Bible begins with the most epic failure of all time, with Adam and Eve thrown out of the Garden of Eden for failing to follow one simple rule.

And a short time after that, humanity itself is such an epic failure that God sends a flood to wipe everyone out and start again.

Even Jesus’ most beloved disciples are deeply flawed.

Look at Peter for example.

Peter fails to walk on water because of his lack of faith.

Peter fails to stand up for Jesus and denies him three times.

Peter fails to keep his temper in check when he cuts off the ear of the servant in the Garden of Gethsemane.

And when Jesus appears to Peter and the others after the resurrection, what do we find Peter in the middle of doing—failing to catch fish.

Sometimes I think the reason I love Peter so much is because he is so imperfect, because he is so flawed.

And yet, Peter is God’s rock.  He is the rock upon which God builds the church.

The Bible is filled with people like Peter who, by the grace of God, are given second chances, who make the most of what God has given them, who realize their gifts and share them with the world, who achieve great things despite all their personal failings.

The Bible is filled with people, who, again and again, question God’s call because they think they aren’t good enough.  And yet, with God, wind up doing amazing things.

When God calls Jeremiah to be his prophet, Jeremiah responds in chapter 1:6, “…. I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”

And God responds in the next verse, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.”

Meaning that when God calls you, all your doubts and fears, all your lingering on past failures, mean nothing.  God has called you.  And with Him, all things are possible.

When I left that job at the charter school, I was convinced I would never teach again.

I didn’t even bother looking for other teaching jobs.  I applied to a temp agency instead.  It wasn’t exciting work, but with less than five hundred dollars in my bank account and a future of ramen noodle dinners ahead of me, it was the best opportunity I had.

But then, about a week before I was to start the temp job, I ran into one of my former students.  She had moved from the private school to a public middle school and she told me that her teacher was sick and on leave and the subs were horrible and would I please come and be their teacher.

While I was flattered that she wanted me to be her teacher again, I was pretty non-committal with her.  But all week, I couldn’t get it out of my head.  I didn’t want to work at that temp agency.  That’s not who I was.  I wanted to be a teacher.  I had made so many mistakes so far in my young career, but I still felt a calling to teach.  I knew I could do better.  I knew in my heart I was a teacher.

So a few days later I dropped my resume off at the school and drove back home.

As soon as I walked in my door, the phone rang.  It was the school secretary telling me to come back, that the principal wanted to interview me.

Long story, short—I never did work at that temp agency.

Instead, I taught at that middle school for the next thirteen years.

And so these are the words you need to hear today.

You are going to make mistakes.  If you are a first-year teacher, you are going to make a ton of them.  If you are a veteran teacher, you are still going to make mistakes—just hopefully, brand new, different mistakes and not the same ones over and over.

You are only human.

But teaching is a calling.  And if you feel it in your heart, then know that God will use whatever you can give Him.  He will use every bit of you, good and bad, to see His vision realized.

You don’t have to be perfect.

You don’t have to impact the lives of millions.

All you have to do is make a difference for one.

One kid.

One kid who thinks they’re a failure.

One kid who thinks to themselves, but I am only a boy, or I am only a girl.

One kid who thinks they don’t measure up, who thinks that no matter what they do, they can’t win.

One kid who needs to know that even in their imperfection, they—like you—are capable of doing great things.

One kid who needs to know, as you need to know, that they are loved by a God who sees past their imperfections, to their true selves, a God who knows what they are capable of, a God who believes in them even when they don’t believe in themselves.

God has called us, every part of us, with all our imperfections to rise up and do great things.

So, embrace all your flaws.  They are you.  Now go do a good thing today.