We have a new phrase for 2020. “Social distancing”. And a word that is on everyone’s lips. “Pandemic”. Used to be, pandemic was a word reserved for online games and the Plague, or Black Death, from the Middle Ages. It conjures up visions of world-wide human decimation, with scant few remaining to re-populate the earth. We’ve seen the movies.
We know now that, at least for this pandemic, even though earth’s population won’t be reduced to a meager few, in order to ‘’flatten the curve” (another new phrase), and to slow down the progression, we’ve been encouraged to self-quarantine. To protect not just ourselves individually, but others who are at greater risk.
It’s called being selfless instead of selfish.
Life gets interrupted, doesn’t it? A year and a half ago Hurricane Michael came aborning, disrupting and destroying lives, livelihoods, and property.
Now it’s a pandemic. Feeling stretched a little? Weary and afraid?
Last year, about this time, I was putting the finishing writing touches on my first book Through Cracked Glass – Grace for God’s fractured and imperfect children. I felt a chapter on conflict resolution and forgiveness would be a good topic to cover. So, I started googling and was rewarded with an article on, what turned out to be, an excellent book – Kevin Sande’s The Peacemaker. What really grabbed my attention and bored its way deep into my heart was a phrase contained in the first sentence of his 2012 revised version’s Preface. “Peacemakers are people who breathe grace.”
Breathe grace. Those two words have become my life goal. Grace – unmerited favor. The opposite of karma.
I had a long conversation with an upset customer today. His nerves were frazzled, and he was in panic mode, so it took me a while to validate his concerns, and talk him off the ledge, so to speak. My patience finally paid off, and he hung up a much calmer customer than at the beginning of the conversation.
How can we breathe grace to others?
I breathe grace when I allow you to cut in front of me in line and I don’t get angry, but realize you have your own frustrations and responsibilities that weigh heavily on your shoulders.
I breathe grace when I don’t hold a grudge when you’ve let me down again or handed me a hot-potato at work that you should have dealt with.
I breathe grace when I text you to see how you’re doing, asking if I can help you with anything.
I breathe grace when I don’t blame you for the mix-up on my order, and work patiently with you to correct it.
I breathe grace when I speak words of encouragement instead of anger. Words to build you up instead of tear you down.
I breathe grace when I sew face masks to protect our health-care workers, when I drop off food on someone’s doorstep, when I donate to organizations supporting those with less than I have.
Grace was what God gave us when He sent Jesus. Unmerited favor. And Jesus breathed grace everywhere He went. Do you think everyone He healed was deserving? Do you think they had to fill out questionnaires and wait to see if they qualified for help? Did He discriminate? No, I don’t think He did.
To Jesus, everyone matters. So, they should to us as well.
This pandemic and social distancing and loss of income for many is wearing, isn’t it? Stress makes us begin to turn our eyes inward, where all we see is our own discomfort, and we can get grumpy and snarky. And our selfishness begins to show when our fear causes us to hoard supplies, effectively meaning someone else will go without.
This forced time of rest can be used to such wonderful advantage. There are all kinds of positive ideas floating around on the internet. Avail yourself of them.
Rest. Grow spiritually. Reconnect with those who mean the most to you as best you can.
As Jesus said, “by this will all men know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Breathe grace whenever you get the opportunity.
