Are We Practicing Grace, Love & Forgiveness As Jesus Would?

My kiddo has found a new show that he adores and I am on board as well as it teaches great life principles and lessons. The show is Superbook. It is 2 children and their robot that are transported in time by “Superbook” to the biblical era. They are always transported into a point that teaches them something that they are experiencing in real time. We have watched a dozen or so episodes now and not only is my child learning, I am learning. How am I learning you ask, I will tell you.

Last year I wrote a piece “Why I Will Not Have A Conversation About Race With My 3 Year Old” and posted on a blog share thread. The share thread is christian based and normally we are all very supportive of each others works and will share or comment. It isn’t expected of course but we do like to help each other out. There were a lot of pieces and conversation about race at this time in particular but mine was completely opposite of what everyone else was writing.

This piece changed the dynamic of my blog and my “friendships” that I had in the group. I was told I was racist and wrong on many occasions. I was called names, told I was ignorant and that God would not be happy with my decision to not educate my three year old about race and the differences. I stuck to my post and stance however and attempted to “defend” my reasoning as best I could. It was falling on deaf ears and that is okay just as it is okay for me to have a difference of opinion. A few days after the dust settled a bit a writer reached out to me that she was only trying to extend Grace to me hence her words on my public forum. This gave me pause and I really had to bite my tongue and do some heavy praying. I had to ask myself what do I believe Grace is? As defined Grace is a disposition to or an act of kindness, courtesy, or clemency. I did not experience any of those things from this writer or the majority of others.

The word Grace is mentioned often in our household. I tell my husband often that when someone evokes emotions far from the desire to give Grace as God would us. Yes my words created emotions that they did not desire but were their words really Grace? Did this individual support my decision to have a different view or did they berate me for not thinking the same as everyone else? Was this Grace or condemnation and bullying and they believed they were being kind by offering advice on how to “fix” my way of thinking?

I will not go into the details of the remainder of events, I did remove myself for a time from all group and share threads. I changed the scope of my blog and stepped away for a bit to heal.

While watching the show Superbook I realized that there are so many commonalities! No matter how hurt, betrayed, or bullied, the story ends with Grace, Love & Forgiveness.

I think back to last year and the experience and what I have learned from it. I learned that intolerance is practiced even in the christian world. Bullying is a thing and disguising it with pretty biblical terms does not make it any less than what it is. I learned Humility! I had to step back and extend Grace to those that were not showing me any. I had to learn forgiveness to strangers that I will never interact with again but for my own well being I let the poison go. I had to let go of my anger and resentment no matter how much damage was done to my “social media” accounts and my blog.

While my reasoning may never be understood by others, I am still happy for the experience and the knowledge that came from it.

I am slowly getting back to writing and remembering why I started writing in the first place. It was for healing. Not only my own but for others. My words have the ability to reach so many and if only one person is touched that is what matters. I pray for all of you each day and thank you to those that stood with me and are continuing this journey with me.