Making mistakes is an inherent part of our human nature, and a crucial element of our learning and growth. It is through mistakes that we come to realize our imperfections, reassess our actions, and strive for improvement. However, when we are shown grace from others amidst our shortcomings, it transcends the simple act of forgiveness. Grace is a potent demonstration of understanding and compassion, a silent acknowledgment that we are all fallible and capable of erring. It serves as a gentle reminder that mistakes do not define us, but rather, it’s how we rise from them, empowered by the grace we've been granted.
Madison Prewett Troutt, a former contestant from ABC’s The Bachelor who is now an author, always longed to be in a relationship. After breaking up with a person she thought might be “the one” and being thrown into the whirlwind of a reality TV show, Madison found grace through her struggle with finding love by a deeper understanding of the foundation of God’s love in her life. Dr. Esau McCaulley is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and an assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. After learning of his estranged father’s death, Esau had to dig deep to find the words that he would use for his eulogy, which led him down a path to renewed empathy and believing that every life, no matter the mistakes made, is deserving of grace.
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:
Past interview: Matthew West
Upcoming interview: Julie Chen Moonves
Samaritan’s Purse: https://sampur.se/44HesSt
Interview Quotes:
“Rejection doesn't have to be such a bad thing. Rejection can actually be God's redirection to something better, and it can also be God's protection to keep you from something that you just tried to settle for. He's still in the no’s, just like He's in the yeses.” - Madison Prewett Troutt
“I see what God has done and is continuing to do through me and how He's using my life to just encourage people. And man, just what God can do with a surrendered heart and a yes is truly amazing.” - Madison Prewett Troutt
“It's by the grace of God that I was really able to experience almost all the different versions of relationships in life: the waiting seasons, the heartbreaks, the rejections, the singleness.” - Madison Prewett Troutt
“My goal is to show everybody how to look to God and see ourselves and find deep love amid our culture's shallow ideas about love and romance. Because the truth is, finding love isn't as complicated as we've made it.” - Madison Prewett Troutt
“My mom always told me when I was a kid that, ‘When you get where you're going, don't forget where you came from’ And that's true, but I think it's more than simply remembering where you came from, it’s bringing where you came from with you, and that you bring them through the door of opportunity.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley
“When I began to see my father as a person with his own narrative and his own struggles, it gave me the courage to tell the truth. But telling the truth about my father, both his sins and his successes, gave me space to tell the truth about my past.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley
“I think that if you're a Christian, a person of faith, and you believe that every single life is sacred, then there are no lives that you can throw away.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley
“If God raises the dead, any person's life at any point can change dramatically. Every single life, as long as it's still going on, has a chance to become something beautiful.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley
“I think we owe each other attention. This may seem to be like a relatively small request, but before you can actually help someone, you have to actually get to see them. We need to let what we see change us.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley
“God never abandons His people. The good news is that we don't have to get it right, but that God gets it right. And if we trust Him, we'll find a way home in the end.” - Dr. Esau McCaulley
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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!
Audio Episodes: https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7
Bonus Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw
Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer: https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C
Peace for Everyday Life: https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj
Peace in Uncertain Times: https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u
What’s Good? https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj
Enneagram: https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY
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