Caution! Extra grace required...

Good Tuesday morning my friends,

Is there someone in your life who seems to be deliberately causing you pain or grief?  Or someone who continually does it, seemingly unwittingly?  Every family, organization, church and workplace has at least one such person.  How are we to deal with them?  Two things come to mind: 

take the time to consider what would cause them to behave in such a way;

and take the time to examine our own behaviours and attitudes.

Often if we look at a persons history and experiences (or, if we don't know what these are we take the time to find out) we see them in a completely different light.  We understand better why they react the way they do, or say the things they say.  There is a married couple who have been in our circle of friends for many years, but the wife in this couple I had found abrasive and overbearing, and quite frankly I did not want to be around her.  Until one time a few years ago her son and my son were signed up for the same weekly activity and I started spending some time getting to know her.  Her story amazed me!  I was so impressed with how she was (and is) dealing with incredible adversity in her life that I quickly forgot all of the negative impressions I had about her. 

Likewise, we need to look at ourselves and examine our motives and prejudices.  Rosemary and I were in a small group Bible study a few years ago.  During one of the sessions the topic of dealing with difficult people was discussed.  The premise was that there is at least one such person in every group.  If you looked around the group and no one seemed to fit the bill, then guess what?  You were that person ... and I was.   Everyone is that "extra grace required" person under some circumstances.  And when we are that person, aren't we thankful when the people around us extend us that grace?  Then shouldn't we be doing the same for others?

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Father of all love and mercy,

how thankful we are that You have extended to us grace that we do not deserve.

Lord, as we go through our day, and come into contact with that person or persons who rub us the wrong way

please, through Your Holy Spirit, whisper in our ear a reminder of all You have done for us.

Refresh our memories with the times that we were in desperate need of acceptance and forgiveness

and of how You provided for those needs.

Remind us of the times when those around us did not judge us but rather loved and prayed for and with us.

Bless those who cause us pain or grief, Father.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca