For several weeks now I have been seeking grace for a situation I have found myself involved in – seeking to find acceptance and forgiveness. Acceptance of what is; and forgiveness where none has been asked for. I have been struggling to “practice what I preach” – in the most literal sense. Tonight, restless and needing to settle down for sleep I picked up the book “The Gift of Change,” by Marianne Williamson, that I have been reading (slowly) for the past 5 months (okay, very slowly). For me, this book has held many nuggets of insight – some I hadn’t thought of or not in that same way, and others being simply reminders of what I already know. I read until I come across something that gives me pause, and then I do pause for reflection (which is why I still have five chapters left).
Tonight these words caught me: “...we come to understand that humanity is not perfect...we all do the best we know how with the skills we have at the time.” ... ... And there I found the grace I was seeking.
Yes. We do the best we can with the skills we have – and that is true in this case, too. And knowing that, and accepting that it is true frees me from all the angst, the conflicting emotions, the internal drama. And it frees within me the grace which flows from God – the grace that brings acceptance, forgiveness, and love.
Are you able to know, with a deep level of knowing, that humanity is not perfect, and we all try to do the best we know how with the skills we have? When we can see situations and others in this way, it frees us from seeing guilt to seeing innocence. Sure there are exceptions, but for the most part people don’t intend to hurt us. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hold others accountable for their actions when necessary. And yes, we should be sure to put boundaries in place if there is a true need to protect ourselves in the future. But when we are more concerned with blaming than forgiving, we close the door on grace and love.
Do you think this is how God sees each of us? Innocent because we are simply trying to do the best we know how with the skills we have at this time?
Can you, too, find God’s grace within?
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