I'm the youngest of two, and I can vividly remember going out of my way to annoy my older sister when I was a kid. I knew most of her hot buttons, and many a time (I am now ashamed to admit!), I took great pleasure in pushing them at whim. This almost always elicited the desired response--getting her angry and flustered--and I recall her often running to our mother to tattle on me.
Just ignore her, she'd say. She'll stop doing that if you just ignore her, she'd advise.
Well, fast forward three decades and I find the same thing happening in my household.
"Maaauuum, he won't get out of my room!"
"Moooom, she keeps touching me!"
"Mom, she promised that she'd play with me, and now she doesn't want to."
Yet, I find myself offering a different vein of advice than that of my mother, all those years ago.
And whenever I see myself parenting in a way that is different from the way I was raised, I just know it is the Lord, and Him alone, who is offering me new and fresh wisdom for the moment!
"He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." --Isaiah 40:11
So, instead of telling my kids to "just ignore" the offender, I've been telling them to give them some space and show them grace.
This line of advice has quickly morphed into three little words: Space and grace.
Now, when my kids run over to me, flustered, in mid-argument with a sibling, I have learned to just cut them off at the pass.
"Mom, she won't..."
Space and grace, I say.
"He keeps..."
Space and grace.
And the household atmosphere simmers down.
My children take pause to consider. To think. To reassess. And they usually go on to make a better choice.
Recently, these words have been burned into my heart, too, and have given me pause throughout my day.
I mean, how many conflicts that come up between children and adults alike can be easily assuaged by the words space and grace?
What if, the next time I was frustrated by the inefficiency of the supermarket clerk, I just calmed down and chose to give her space and grace?
What if, the next time I received a curt text message from a friend, I chose to give them space and grace?
What if, the next time I was belittled by a relative, I chose to grant them space and grace?
How about you, dear friend?
How would giving space and grace to your loved ones, co-workers, neighbors, and friends radically change your day today?
What if, instead of harboring irritation and frustration, you chose to give the offender some space and grace, allowing the Lord to handle the situation and move in that person's life and heart?
Will you, along with me, reflect upon that today for a bit? I know the Lord has much to teach us about the gift of grace, in every moment of our lives!
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