What role does gift giving play in your celebrations? As a child, I would search through the catalogs anticipating possible gifts. I did not have a full understanding that gifts may be seen or unseen.
This season now reminds me of the gift of grace. To me, grace means unconditional love and mercy.
Might the food, water, sunlight, and air be gifts of unconditional love and mercy? What do people do in exchange for the air and water? While humans tend to be high consumers, they usually often do little in return for this life-giving grace. What if in return we shared that grace?
Humans, as part of all creation, also contain the capacity to share grace. Between humans, it may be a friend or family member seeing past an exterior roughness to the inner lovability.
How often do I freely give grace? It seems easier to determine if someone is worthy of grace. The Truth remains that all are worthy of receiving the same grace.
No matter who I am or what I do, there exists an abundance of air to breathe and clean water to drink. Each twenty-four hours I receive a new opportunity to demonstrate my gratitude and be a source of grace, sharing love and mercy. It may be in seeking to understand, helping someone feel heard, or compassionately discussing a perceived slight.
As you consider the gifts you may give in the days and months ahead, what if you give the gift of grace? Remember to keep yourself on your grace giving gift list too!
