Grace. I bet you thought I was going to write about gratitude, and in some ways, I suppose that I am . Can we really have grateful hearts when we are holding back the giving or the getting of Grace?
I have watched, and have noted that when we need grace extended, we hope and pray that others will look past our “stuff” and choose to see the best in us…. Yet, while we are the ones in which the extension of Grace is needed, we can often times thing of nothing but the millions of reasons why we shouldn’t give grace.
I haven’t always been graceful. Even as I type this, I can think of times in which I wish I had given more grace. Been slower to come to an accusation or judgment. I have set out to be more purposeful about doing so.
But, let me be really clear.. the extension of grace…. or the act of forgiveness on any level… isn’t about “letting” someone off the hook.. or making them “right” or validating their behavior in any way… all it is; is the willingness to say, I wont be bound with this.
We have lost the ability to separate the deed from the do-er. There isn’t a day that goes by, the Rene World that I can choose to engage or not engage in grace. I am learning that being offended, is a choice. Yep, you heard me right. Someone cannot offend me, without me giving them permission to do so.
Case and point. With the recent elections I stood on the side of an issue that other friends did not. Big shock…. and while some thought taking pot shots at me by suggesting that I was “ill informed”, willing to “murder” the Washington farmer and other non sense.. I could have chosen to fire back… but, Instead I sat myself down, reminded me that I know me….. my true friends know me, know what I do for a living, the million ways I support the small farmer and rancher everyday of my life, and chose to not engage.
It is good to be passionate about a subject. But, I have also learned, the hard way that there are always at least two sides to every issue, and there are brilliant, amazing people on either side. The truth, is always somewhere in the middle.
I watched a friend…. more of a peer…. be verbally torn apart yesterday, for mistakes made. I found it interesting that some of the worst “bites” came from those that have just recently asked for grace in their life too….
In my own life, I have discovered that in order to truly be grateful, I have to truly grab ahold of grace. To truly get down in the dirt with it, roll around in it… sit with it and absorb the many, many, many, many, times that I have needed grace extended to me, and had it given.
Truly there are so many things that I want those I love and care about go through and think, “there for the grace of God, go I”
During those times, I am the most grateful for my friends who come to me…. tell me that I am a bone-head… quickly followed by the words, but you are our bone-head.. now let’s dig you out of this……. that my friend is grace. We can stand a long side someone without giving credibility to their failings. We can show love and grace when someone disagrees with our positions….
Life is hard…. why do we insist in some cases to make it harder on those we say we love?
I am curious what do you think G is for?
A Cowgirl Called 