My parents would tell you from a young age that I never wanted to give up on people. I believed that every friend that disappointed or hurt me would change, sometimes almost blindly. I am now in a field where I get to give second chances to people all the time, and I love it. I love giving grace to people, to the kids that I see every day who, because of circumstances quite often outside of their control, have experienced horrendous things and respond as would anyone undergoing trauma. To addicts who are desperate to conquer their addiction, and can't seem to get a grasp on it. I can overlook ten thousand faults in friends and people I care about, many times not even being aware of the fault unless I am forced to address it. I love people, and choose to give them that grace. And when they ask for forgiveness, I can usually grant it, without a second thought or struggle.
However, when driving down the road and some random person cuts me off, I fail. I fail miserably. If you are my friend, someone I care about, someone in my world, I can freely give the grace that was given me. And often times even if I do feel the sin has to be confronted in love, I can confront it, and then move on, loving the person, and letting go. But when it comes to the faceless person on the road who cuts me off, I fail to give grace. I fail to see that they are perhaps also late for work, or had a really bad day, or a rushing home to an emergency. A friend could cut me off, and I might laugh, or presume they are caring for a child that is screaming in the back, or distracted by some (in my mind) extremely legitimate excuse.
Fail. I want to give the same grace to everyone I interact with, whether it be a faceless driver, or my closest friends. We all need Jesus, and I have been given grace. Who am I to not extend it to others? Why must I act as if someone else's carelessness, busyness, or lack of paying attention is a personal attack on me? And yet I freely accept the grace I have been given again and again every time I sin and enjoy the ability to repent and be made right with God. I sin against the God of the Universe, and get mad when someone cuts me off in traffic. Father forgive me.
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However, when driving down the road and some random person cuts me off, I fail. I fail miserably. If you are my friend, someone I care about, someone in my world, I can freely give the grace that was given me. And often times even if I do feel the sin has to be confronted in love, I can confront it, and then move on, loving the person, and letting go. But when it comes to the faceless person on the road who cuts me off, I fail to give grace. I fail to see that they are perhaps also late for work, or had a really bad day, or a rushing home to an emergency. A friend could cut me off, and I might laugh, or presume they are caring for a child that is screaming in the back, or distracted by some (in my mind) extremely legitimate excuse.
Fail. I want to give the same grace to everyone I interact with, whether it be a faceless driver, or my closest friends. We all need Jesus, and I have been given grace. Who am I to not extend it to others? Why must I act as if someone else's carelessness, busyness, or lack of paying attention is a personal attack on me? And yet I freely accept the grace I have been given again and again every time I sin and enjoy the ability to repent and be made right with God. I sin against the God of the Universe, and get mad when someone cuts me off in traffic. Father forgive me.
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