Synonyms: kindness, kindliness, love, benignity; condescension
The young girl sat on the floor playing with her Christmas toys while family and extended family talked and played table tennis. There was a knock at the door and in walked the 'shunned' family member. She'd heard much talk about him and peered at him curiously before returning to her gift. The man had hurt others, betrayed and cheated but everyone had prayed he would come home and they talked about forgiveness in his absence. After some time had passed, she noticed him about to leave. No one was paying attention and he seemed hesitant to leave. She looked around at her family and waited for someone to say or do something but they were all busy. She got up and went to the man and took hold of his hand. She stood on tiptoe and he bent down to hear her say, "I love you. Goodbye" as she kissed him on the cheek. He wiped a tear from his eye and left their home and she never saw him again but that moment became the time her understanding of grace started growing in her.
There has been a lot of pain and sorrow in the world over 2016 and some are declaring it a bad year. Crowds have cried out against injustice - real and perceived, people have accused others of betrayal and cheating, some have lashed out, others have sneakily gossiped and lied sowing seeds of disunity while others have pointed the finger or manipulated circumstances for their own ends. It has happened on a worldwide scale and perhaps it's happened in your backyard. There was a song I used to know as a teenager and went, "Stop the world, I want to get off, This is too weird for me... I get the definite impression this isn't how it's meant to be. No. No."
Now that 2017 has come around, there are all sorts of reflections about 2016 going around including the comment that 130 celebrities have died. In a smaller post on Facebook, three names of people who have made a difference to medicine and science also died in 2016 but despite their contribution to 'life', they were little known. News is graphically blasted into our living rooms as we watch on our TVs and we become so aware of the hatred and evil that sometimes seems to control our world. We shudder at what is happening and pray fervently for peace.
For me, peace will only come when we start showing grace to others and this begins at home with my friends and family. I don't have control over the actions of others but I do need to take responsibility for demonstrating unconditional love and grace to those around me; my family, workplace and those in my community. Closer to home, I see how friends and family are treated and I see how others point their fingers to blame, whisper about someone's failings and "throw the next stone". I don't want to be one of those people but sometimes it is all too easy to join in and become part of the crowd.
There are people in my life who I admire but if I told them that, they would blush or try to brush it off because one of the main traits they have in common, is their humility. They have faced some real life tragedies of their own and yet are 'ordinary people' doing extraordinary things. In the midst of their own pain, they are making a difference around them. They sit beside a dying loved one, play music to children with disabilities and go out for coffee to encourage their hurting friends when they would rather be at home. They step outside of their comfort zone and use their gifts and abilities in order to give someone else hope in their difficult time.
In 2017, who are you going to be? When I was growing up, there was a saying that when you point the finger at someone else, three fingers are pointing back at you. Let's stop blaming, stop manipulating things to get our own way and stop hurting others. Let's find out how we can encourage others, get to know them and love them. Some are dealing with circumstances you may not know about. Let's be the little girl mentioned at the start of this post and take someone by the hand, reach up and whisper encouraging words of grace even when no one else is looking.
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| Grace for 2017 |
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
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