Do you ever see yourself in your children? As you learn grace for yourself you will know how to teach and guide them.
One of my children is finally facing the reality of what is unfolding and trying to unpack her hurt. It looks messy somedays... as if being a teenager doesn't come with it's own turmoil, we add trauma. I had to give gentle reproof to her in regards to a sibling conflict and out spilled the wrong stories she is hearing and speaking to herself. She is caught in a cycle of telling herself in every conflict with another if she was just perfect or pretended to be OK and good than it would make life easier.
But I know from experience that trying to be enough, pretending to be OK or overlook hurts is not the answer. Mercy AND truth are necessary to walk forward. At minimum you need it for yourself, between you and God. In a relationship, the other person must make the same choices in order to walk together in healthy ways. You cant do it for them. Forgiveness and grace are essential.
Leave it to a young girl to sum it the struggle of so much humanity with clarity instead of trying to only do what she feels and pretend she isn't as we do as adults. Guilty. 🙋♀️
I told her that reproof isn't for condemnation but to lead us to repentance and grace. It isn't meant to drive us to perform better or feel beat up for not being enough. We aren't meant to be perfect. We aren't meant to be enough...for anyone. Grace is available because we are human. He created us with every weakness by it is in weakness He is made strong. Many times in life someone has praised me for a character quality I KNOW was 100% God's grace and give credit accordingly. Left to myself, i know what I'd resort to in many situations.
In this rawness I see opportunity for deep healing and I try to pray for THIS. It highlights more of my own need to let God be the glue, the everything but be a responsible conduit of not only His love but His grace... first by receiving it and second my sharing it.
May what the enemy means to destroy be a platform for healing, grace, feeling broken but pressing in and a place that can pinpoint became where we all fell in love with Jesus MORE.
Photo credit: Hadassah Sears
Shenandoah National Park, Big Meadows