There will come a day when we look back on our struggles with tearful eyes, a grateful heart, and a spirit of humility, giving thanks to God. Many baby boomers had never experienced this kind of trouble, such as a worldwide pandemic, mask-wearing, and the discipline of social distancing. Some of us have experienced wars, poverty, discrimination, segregation, protests, and the loss of precious loved ones. It has been a season of learning, one of patience through hard times, trials, and tribulations that test our faith in God. If we never had troubles, how could we evaluate whether we trust God, in whom we have not seen?
It would be wonderful to live in a world untouched by the turbulence, untruths, violence, and corruption that seems to be growing like cancer, attaching itself to the innocent. Our world is inhabited by imperfect people who are prone to lashing out at others due to their imperfections. There are very few people who remain untouched by the actions of those who are broken. With the understanding that we need each other to succeed in life, our gift of grace should be freely given because we are all connected as human beings, in need of grace upon grace.
Grace is not something that a person earns by doing all the right things. It is unmerited and given from God out of love, acceptance, and forgiveness. We need grace to exist in an imperfect world because we are prone to error in our thoughts and ways. Since we know ourselves, that should cause us to empathize with one another.
There are rare moments when we may come close to perfection; these times are when all things appear to be in alignment, and we can exhale… Perfect!
As we prepare for what’s next, we hope to have gained a little more patience, faith and hope in our times of enduring the struggles in this maze I call everyday life. There is a significant difference between people who love God and understand the imperfection of humanity, realizing that a bit of grace goes a long way and those who don’t.
John 13:34-35 NKJV 34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.“ 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Please join us in celebrating Life at the Villages Community Chapel in Cribari Auditorium this Sunday at 10 a.m. to be encouraged over the Word of Life and enjoy coffee and cookies with friends. The chapel is a place where needs are met, faith is affirmed, and new friends are made. You can view our worship services on YouTube at www.villagescommunitychapel.vgcc.club