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Matt Woodcock, Church of England Pioneer Minister and Mission Supporter in the Diocese of York: 
The other day I was video recording an online Holy Communion service in my front room.  Finally getting there after several interruptions. Lost in a heavenly moment as I blessed the bread and wine. Suddenly - coming to my big finish - there was a loud knock on the window. Mum. Come to give me another socially-distanced wave. I nearly dropped the holy elements all over the carpet. ‘For crying out loud, mum!’ I shouted - before storming out of the room to compose myself. 
All very embarrassing - but video outtake gold for our congregation. Admittedly, I can be a bit highly strung sometimes. Too easily stressed and agitated when things go wrong. ‘A bit of a diva’, my wife says. Well, in my study - lurking amongst the Oasis, York City and religious paraphernalia - is a bright yellow, battery-operated duck. It’s my little reminder to take the knockbacks a bit more in my stride. To learn to fail better. I’d bought a batch of these ducks for a charity ‘duck racing extravaganza’ organised for our local community.  They were supposed to swim when you put them it into water. 
Except on the day these wouldn’t move. None of them. No matter how many times I changed their batteries - or frantically shook them. The race was abandoned. And then the heavy rain started - washing out the barbecue and any remaining spectators. I raised the grand total of £4.40. A humiliating experience, then - but also an important one. It reminded me that malfunctioning duck moments are just part of life. How I react to and learn from them is what’s important. One of the enduring attractions of my Christian faith is in helping me draw value from my mishaps and missteps. 
To see failure, as the author Truman Capote put it, as ‘the condiment that gives success its flavour,’ I’ve found the more I ask for divine help in my times of despondency, the greater my capacity to try again.  I relate to the Biblical observation that God ‘lifts up’ those who are ‘bowed down’. Or in my case sulking. So I’m determined to handle my next big disappointment with more grace and humour. No more diva. But I still don’t think my little duck will be swimming any time soon.