Stupidity

In school, I aspired to be the best. Since I was the smallest kid in my class, I gave up on athletics and focused on academics. I paid attention in class, asked questions, and tried to learn everything. My high scores weren’t high enough. I hated tests, because they were sure to reveal what I didn’t know.
I spent several years trying to get over my embarrassment for looking stupid and having to apologize for making mistakes. About the time I thought I was making progress, I took a sales job where I became responsible for other people’s mistakes. I wasn’t a writer back then, but I thought I could write a book with the title, 101 Ways to Eat Crow, because I’d had so much experience in ways to say, “I’m sorry, we messed up.”
Only in recent years have I learned to be thankful for my weaknesses and uncanny ability to make mistakes. I’m very good at this, and it’s okay. Why? For one thing, if we’re not making mistakes, we’re not learning much. We’re not accomplishing much.
In my striving to do my best, not be the best, I leave God the privilege of doing a miracle. Like the apostle Paul, I can be thankful for my weaknesses and stupidity, because God’s strength and wisdom can be revealed.
God uses what the world regards as foolishness to embarrass those who think they are so smart. Through our weaknesses, he will do mighty things that confound those who hold positions of power. — 1 Corinthians. 1:27