Grace (as per. to us)

If you were to ask me about a career today (as someone did), I would tell you that I do not yet have a calling. By a calling, I would be referring to a calling in a career though, because I would be misguiding you to say that I was not called to anything. We are all called to something at a given point in time. Even if you do not feel called to something, Mark 12:30-31 lays it out pretty well. The GREATEST commandments are to Love the Lord your God and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Simple enough, right?

Some of you who read this may not "be on the same page" as me, so to speak. In that case, I would hope you strive for the latter of the two statements, that you may someday understand the magnitude of the former. I bring all this up because one of the key elements of Love and a foundation of friendship is Grace. Grace is often described as "getting what one doesn't deserve." True love radiates grace and when love increases we care more and more for someone else than we would for ourselves. When we love someone, the ultimate manifestation must be sacrifice. Even if it is not physical sacrifice, mental and emotional sacrifices must be made if love is to be as strong as love can be.

Today I made a mistake. Have you ever done that, dear reader? I seem to recognize my mistakes more and more as of late. This mistake pertained to a long time friend of mine. My intentions were good (as is common for a large number of mistakes), but the actions were wrong.
When you are on the receiving end of a mistake, you really have two options: you may ignore the mistake (or better, FORGIVE the mistake), or you may allow the mistake to be kept in your memory, so that you may become angered by it and put forth action to correct the mistake, if not only to reprimand the person who committed this mistake against you.

My friend chose the latter, calling me out in a stern and blameful way. Today, I was a lesser man. I allowed this to frustrate me and I allowed the sin within me to control my tongue. I said something I shouldn't have. I still mean what I say, but I do regret the way I said it. Now this relationship in my life has a history of problems, and in the humblest way possible I will say that they are usually caused by my opposite. In all those situations, I remained in love and took back mistakes with grace. Today, however, I spoke in a way that will take any other words or actions I make and turn them into fuel for the fire of discontent that burns between the two of us.

In my apology (for I was at fault today), I quoted a verse from 1 Corinthians. Oh how cliché this verse is, but it was necessary. Take note, dear reader, for you may yet learn something about the way that you love.

"If I give all I posses to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
1 Corinthians 13: 3-7

The person who I have wronged today probably won't read this (I have not heard of them grazing their eyes upon my writing's words), but I hope that you will re-evaluate your relationships dear reader. I will wrong you at some point in my life. My nature is not of righteousness. I do pray that the nature of our love is grounded in grace; ready to put aside the wrongs of now for future love and in joy of past love. I will do all that I can to prepare my heart to be a heart of grace, I hope you will do the same.

Romans 3:23, which means that we're all in this together, let us not make this harder than it has to be. Be loved my dear reader.

- Ian M. Charbonnet