Yes, my grandson is sobbing. He is crying for his Pop-Pop.
It is late afternoon and he's overstimulated from a family holiday get-together with new people in a new place and a small person his size. With stairs to climb and seats to spin in and lots of voices.
But he's used to his Pop-Pop. His Pop-Pop soothes him when he wakes up grumpy from a nap or is just feeling grouchy. His Pop-Pop lifts him up oh so high and shows him things, things that make him forget he's miserable. Pop-Pop is magic.
It's so easy to understand how he feels. It's so easy to offer him grace. He's so little and he has no words yet to express himself.
But isn't that true for some of us, too? We feel miserable and we have no words to express ourselves.
I've been telling some of my closets friends that 2025 is going to be the YEAR OF GRACE. It's not official. You can't Google it. But I have declared it, if for no other reason that to remember to offer myself a little grace.
We've gotten uptight, worried, caught in the news cycle, stuck in traffice, held up in the grocery store. We've been offended, we've become impatient, we are irritated. And more often often than not, that irritation is focused on a someone. And in our hearts and minds and sometimes in our voices and our social media posts we insult, disparage, condemn, and lose patience.
We put "I" before "them." And we really should be at least trying to offer them grace.
For two good reasons. Firstly, because we think of ourselves as good people, as nice people. And good, nice people are kind to other people. Good people try to think before they speak. They try to understand how someone else feels. They try to leave space for grace.
The second reason is a matter of faith. For those of us who believe in God, we believe we are given grace, given it freely. We are grateful for the space that is held for us to be human, the forgiveness that is offered us daily, hourly, minute by minute. As we strive to do better, to be better, we know God's grace is the space that we are given to grow.
So this year, join me in trying to increase your awareness, to grow your compassion, and to nuture your empathy so that you can offer grace to those around you just as God offers it to us. And isn't that what faith is all about?
May your Father in Heaven lift you, reassure you, surprise you, and love you, just like earthly grandfathers do for their grandsons and granddaughters.
Peace be with you. Wishing you a wonderful 2025.
