When the Day Derails: A Lesson in Grace, Guilt, and Getting Back Up
Because sometimes the biggest mistake is forgetting who you are.
You ever wake up and just feel… off?
Not sad. Not sick. Just… not you. That was me today. Nothing in my world had really changed, but something in me had. I was off my game, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why.
I started the day strong. Hit boot camp with my workout buddies, checked all the boxes—weights, crunches, the run. Came home, read my devotionals, fed my soul. So far, so good, right?
But then... I took a nap.
The Accidental Spiral
Now, a nap in and of itself isn’t criminal. In fact, it should be celebrated—rest is a good thing. But today, for some reason, that nap felt like a felony. I meant to sleep for 30 minutes. Instead, I woke up over 90 minutes later.
And in those extra 60 minutes? I missed a meeting.
Not just any meeting—a new connection, a referral from a friend, someone I was excited to talk to. And just like that, shame rushed in. That one missed appointment snowballed into a full-blown self-worth crisis.
Because I stood someone up. Because I dropped the ball. Because I should’ve known better.
The Shame Game
Isn’t it wild how one small misstep can hijack your entire day? Logically, I know I’m human. I know grace is available. I know Jesus didn’t go to the cross so I could torture myself for taking a nap and missing a Zoom.
And yet… I let shame sit in the driver’s seat.
I let it convince me that I was lazy, unreliable, unworthy. I spiraled through the day, checking boxes but feeling empty after each one. And by the end of the day, I was so unhinged I went out back and did what I do when I need release:
I lit a fire.
Burn It to the Ground (Figuratively, Mostly)
Y’all, I love burning stuff—in my fire pit. It’s therapeutic. Symbolic. Honest. Today I burned some things I couldn’t toss in the trash but needed to let go of. It helped… sort of.
But the real fire I needed to address was inside me. Because I had put way too much pressure on one meeting, one moment, one missed opportunity—as if it had the power to make or break everything.
Let’s be real: Have you ever done that? Put so much weight on one thing that, when it slips, your whole sense of purpose slips with it?
Worth Isn’t Found in the Win
Here's the truth I’m reminding myself of tonight—and maybe you need it too:
Your worth doesn’t live in a calendar invite.
It’s not defined by your to-do list, your punctuality, or how many meetings you nailed this week.
It lives in your why. It breathes in your resilience. It shows up every time you choose to rise again and take one step—just one—in the bright direction.
Grace for the Glitches
So if you missed the meeting? Apologize, move on.
If you dropped the ball? Pick it back up.
If you gave away your power today? Take it back.
Because tomorrow is a brand new chance to realign with your purpose. To inhale the will of God and exhale your pride. To remember you were made for more, and no one—no one—gets to take that away from you unless you hand it over.
And you? You’re better than that.
You are resilient. You are connected. You are empowered to take action.
Take One Step in the Bright Direction
Wherever you are today, however “off” you feel, you’re not alone. Your next best step doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be yours.
And that step, friend?
It still counts.
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