You slowly wake up to a peaceful morning. The sunlight from the morning fills your room with a pleasant glow. It’s not normally this bright when you wake up…

Oh no… Why is it so light outside? What time is it? How did I completely miss my alarm?!

You just slept through class.

Yes, you will be late turning in the assignment you spent all night working on. No, it doesn’t matter you were finished and accidentally overslept.

I remember this feeling well. It’s unnerving and frustrating, and can throw off your entire day, like it used to for me in college. But there is more than one way to look at it.

Instead, this can be an opportunity to show yourself grace and realize it’s not a big deal.

You will take a hit on your assignment, even though you were trying hard to be responsible. You were even going to pay attention and take notes. Maybe you missed because you stayed up partying. Or, maybe you stayed up late to finish studying, and there is no shame in that.

Maybe you see I’m not just talking about university classes.

It could mean missing a deadline at work, spoiling a nice surprise, or otherwise messing up something which should have gone well.

Though you feel like an idiot, you and God understand the circumstances. You’re here now, and you can’t change anything. It’s going to be okay.

Wife and I joke about this when we try our best but things still go poorly.

It’s refreshing and helpful to know your mistake won’t wreck your life or ruin your career.

Oh and don’t miss the benefit to accidentally sleeping through class — you get a few more hours sleep than you would have!