We Could All Use A Little Grace

There were mixed feelings about the crazy weather, but I thought it was beautiful, especially the way it covered the tree branches. However, one of my trees couldn’t handle the late storm. It split right down the trunk due to the weight of the snow.  It was lying entirely on the fluffy white ground.  I’m not sure why that tree couldn’t take the stress, the rest of the trees surrounding it were just fine, beautiful even; but I did see God’s hand in allowing me to witness it.

This felt like a gentle reminder to me that even though we all are currently in the same storm, we do not handle it in the same way. Or to say it in a more refined way, we may all be in the same storm, but we are not in the same boat.

I have found myself confused or even frustrated about how I have handled some of the stress during this time, and I have also found myself frustrated at others who are dealing with it differently than I think they should. The truth is, no one under stress handles it the same way. Our makeups and our situations are all uniquely different.

An ER nurse with two school-aged children will not see this time the same way as a single working friend. A wife with a supportive husband will not handle it the same as one with an abusive spouse. A person who knows Jesus may not see it the same way as one who experiences the situation with less tangible hope.

We are all in a different boat.

So during this time, my desire is to approach people with more grace. I would encourage you to do the same.  Reach out to friends who do not seem to be doing well.  Send letters of encouragement. If you get coffee, drop one off on a doorstep.  If you read something on a social media feed that fights your own feelings about the coronavirus mess, let it go.