Daily, we are tempted to react and get revenge for those that are rude, crude, and just plain mean. Like the boy in this “block of mercy” cartoon, we want to get even before we think of forgiveness.
Mercy can be hard, can’t it? It’s especially hard with siblings. The only time siblings feel like giving mercy is when they are the ones in need of it. Just ask my siblings. I got much more mercy than I deserve. Wait a minute… you can’t earn mercy, can you? Because if it is deserved, it isn’t mercy.
Today, we will almost certainly need to maintain our composure. If we are parents of young kids, we’ll need it. Waiting for that business deal, or dealing with the workflow will require us to be patient. And someone who is inconsiderate, insincere, or just rude will require a little more from us. We all need a heaping dose of patience.
One of those areas will affect some of us more than others. Yet, there is someone all of us will need great tolerance for. That person is ourselves. This quote reminds us we need to give ourselves a break.
“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them – every day begin the task anew.”
Saint Francis de Sales (1567 – 1622)
Of all the people we need patience with, ourselves can be the hardest. We know our thoughts and actions. We can be hard on ourselves way too much. If we have high standards, we will most likely fall short.
However, we all need to give ourselves a break. Because if we aren’t patient with ourselves, we are going to get stuck. Our frustration with our own imperfections will keep us from moving forward.
Instead of mulling over why we did this or that, consider what it would look like to improve. That will keep us moving in the right direction instead of wasting all of our time berating ourselves for our imperfections.
When we give ourselves grace, we are in a much better place to help others. It opens us up to empathy because we can acknowledge we aren’t perfect. High standards are good until it makes us intolerant of human behavior. What is the point of perfection if it alienates us from others?
When we acknowledge we still have much to learn, it helps us to have the patience and empathy to teach others.
Today, let’s give ourselves a little grace, learn from our imperfections and mistakes, and move forward. It can even help us teach others how to overcome some of the obstacles we have faced.
“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.”
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol (AmazonClassics Edition) (p. 97). Amazon Classics. Kindle Edition.
It’s Christmas morning! we have made it through the hustle and bustle. Now it is time to settle down with our favorite hot beverage, check out what is under the tree, and wish our loved ones a Merry Christmas!
Ebenezer Scrooge is one of my favorite literary characters. He is a reminder no one is beyond redemption. It is full of reckoning, suspense, and grace. A Christmas Carol reminds me that anyone can have a second chance.
To be honest, I struggle with that once in a while. I am sure we all do. There is someone that hurt us, a person that feels justified in their actions that makes it hard to forgive and welcome them with Christmas cheer. If we’re honest, all of us can think of someone right now.
But on this day, let us have nothing but peace on earth, goodwill to all. Let us honor Christmas in our hearts, and try to keep it all year long. May your day be blessed!
Cartoon of a man in his back yard. The neighbor’s dog is raising a fit. The man says, “Love your neighbor and put-up with his pooch.”
Love towards one’s neighbors can be a challenge, especially when he isn’t a model citizen. Sometimes, the neighbor can be all right, but his dog may act like an obedience school drop-out.
To all my neighbors, I hope my dog has not been acting like Cujo lately. I promise I will try to be a model citizen. If I fall short a few times, please forgive me. I’ll show a little mercy too. Let’s face it, we all need that from time to time.
This was a cartoon I drew seven years ago. I updated it and posted it the new version to my website at www.kevinspear.com.
I drew this in Adobe Illustrator CS2.