It was our first time to ring the Salvation Army bell, on one of the coldest weekends of the year. My breath came out like spurts of warm fog every time I said “Merry Christmas!” to the shoppers who braved the icy weather.

My musical husband, Kevin, rang his bell in a jolly rhythm, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. 

“We may as well put some spirit into it and have a little fun,” he said. And it was fun. The minutes flew by.

But I could not manage to keep hold of my bell. Perhaps I was concentrating more on chatting with the shoppers. Perhaps my mittens were too soft to allow a good grip. Perhaps I didn’t want to clutch it too tightly for fear my hand would tire. For whatever reason, in the course of 30 short minutes, I dropped that bell seven times. Yes, seven.

No one seemed to notice. The kettle filled up with donations from warm-hearted individuals in spite of my bell-dropping. But I was embarrassed.

Making Music
Although I teased Kevin that I was winning the game of “drop the bell,” I couldn’t help comparing it with my life. Every time that bell skittered across the pavement with a tinkle and a thud, it reminded me how often I drop the ball in my life.

Fortunately, God chooses to forgive my faults. He tells me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God blesses my efforts to follow Him in spite of the times I don’t have a tight grip on His good plans for my life. Like my bell-ringing skills—or lack thereof—none of us have to be perfect for God to make music from our lives.