…and you were also not born to demand perfection of others.
I've been so humbled lately by watching some of my friends and family perform some really spectacular acts of grace and non-judgment in their relationships with each other.
As somebody who can be a TAD bit judgey (of myself and, I'm sorry to report, of others) it is always such an education for me when I watch people drop their egos and release their defenses and just allow life and humanity and the world to be REAL.
Right now, I'm watching a friend of mine work through a problem with a family member whom he loves dearly but who has been causing him considerable trouble. My friend has established some healthy boundaries with this person, but he hasn't cut off the relationship. (All I can say is: I would have cut off that relationship, if it were me. In fact, my OWN ego is offended, by how this family member is treating my friend….and it doesn't even have anything to do with me!)
But my friend has nothing but forgiveness and openness in his heart.
He explained it this way: "At my age, I simply can't care about the offense or the upset anymore. I only care about the person. So I'm willing let it go. I don't need to always be right anymore. I just want to be at peace with myself and with everyone."
I took his hand and said, "Walk me through that. Show me how."
He said, "Just let everyone be human, and bless their humanity, and rub a little God on it, and let it go."
I want nothing more than to have that much grace and space inside me — plenty of room for everyone's contradictions to flare up however they have to, without me getting all bent out of shape and constricted by my judgments and opinions.
So my Sunday prayer today is this: Help me learn how to get closer to accepting the real in all circumstances and all people, and further away from demanding the perfect out of anyone or anything.
Please, God, let my ego get smaller while my heart grows only bigger.
Amen and ONWARD,
LG
