She did what she could
30/01/2015 16:46
Grrrrrr! Oops….. my apologies. That’s no way to begin a blog, is it? But …the thing is…. I made a mistake. A big one. I walked into our village chemist yesterday and handed in the prescription for my thyroxin medication. So far, so good. I collected my prescription after I finished my grocery shopping. Nothing wrong with that either. But when I got home and was about to place the pills in my fridge, something made me check the package. I opened it. I gazed at it. I saw it. Oh oh……!
It was the wrong dosage. A few months previously, my doctor had increased my thyroxin dosage from 50 micro grams to 75. Blue box = 50 mcg. Pink box = 75 mcg. And yes, you got it. I’d been given a blue box and not the pink one. The annoying part was that I receive 200 pills at one go. That’s 6 whole months worth of pills. I could use them – but it would mean that every other morning for many months I will need to cut a pill in half and take 1 ½ pills rather than just the one. The pills are tiny – too small to cut into two. They often end as 4 or 5 pieces when one tries to halve them.
It wasn’t the chemist fault. It was mine. I accept that, fair and square. I had two scripts from my doctor. I’d used the older script, forgetting that the prescription had now changed. The next morning, I drove off to the village in an attempt to undo my mistake. Sad to say, my powers of persuasion didn’t work. A friendly chemist explained patiently that they couldn’t use the medication if I returned it. So there was no way they could take it back. I understood. They had no choice and neither had I. As I went home that day I told myself that I’d done what I could and that had to be enough.
Yes, I did what I could. At least I tried. Sometimes you try and you succeed. Sometimes you try and you fail. What’s important in life is trying. The past few weeks as I've reflected on my Mum’s amazing life, I have been awed at the fact that she, like my Dad was a lifetime learner. Right until the time she died, 3 months short of her 90th b’day, she kept doing her best to become a better person; overcoming weaknesses, striving to be all God created her to be. As I soak in numerous wise, eloquent verses about life in a journal she’d left for me, she continues to encourage me to live the best I can. She was unique and one of a kind; a gold candle in a sea of white ones – glowing brightly even after her light’s been snuffed out. And following her lead, I can strive to become be the best I can be until the day I die.
Do you know the story of Mary Magdalene? Mary bought a bottle of expensive perfume. She opened the jar and poured it over Jesus’ head. The people around her rebuked her harshly. They said it was a waste of money. Jesus told them “Leave her alone. She did what she could. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” She did what she could. And Jesus was blessed by her actions and her heart of love and gratitude.
The truth is that often Jesus’ perspective on how we should live is very different to our own. That’s one reason we can never afford to point fingers at others. Only they see the full picture of what God requires of them. ‘She did what she could’. Mum, by doing what she could, blessed hundreds of people over her long, fruitful lifetime. Mary Magdalene – by doing what she could, blessed Jesus. Two powerful ways of living. Blessing God. Blessing others.
Are you bothered by the opinion of others? Or sinking in a sea of guilt and remorse? If you have done what you could – it is enough. Mistakes are OK. They can be rectified or lived with. Sin is never OK. But thankfully our sins are always forgiven when we approach God in genuine repentance. Negative words of others cannot touch you when you do what you can. You can’t do more than your best and your best is always enough.
Have you done what you could?