Last year at this time I was in deep grieving mode. This time of year is full of reminders for me of a lot of sad events. Not to list them all, but the death of my father was just over 10 years ago and my brother who died almost seven years ago was born in early September.
Henry Cloud wrote a book called Changes That Heal. In it he posits that in order to heal our brokenness we all need Grace, Truth and Time.
Grace is unmerited favor. We don’t earn it. It is given to us primarily by God, but we can extend it to each other by forgiving and being kind. We also need to learn to offer and receive it from ourselves.
Truth has to do with being in line with fact and reality. It also has a meaning related to sincerity in action and character. When I think of God, I think of his character as truthful. The way he asks us to interact with each other also fits here. Like grace, truth relates vertically in our relationship with God, then horizontally in our relationship with others and finally how we treat ourselves.
Am I receiving and extending grace? Is my life aligned the truth of God and his word and promises?
Time…this is what makes it complete.
Give a plant good soil, food, water, sun and it will grow, but not over night. If I plant myself in grace and truth, I still need time to let these sink in and bring the healing I need.
August, September and October still hold reminders of unpleasant things that have taken place in my life. But this year, after a year of grace & truth, the sting is noticeably less. I have learned to hold those events in a way that they are still part of my life, but they are not preeminent. I am sad from time to time, but I am not overwhelmed like I was a year ago.
To all those who hurt, and we all do if we are honest, you have hope. Be of good courage. Accept the grace of God for your situation. God is present with you even if you can not sense it. Know the truth of the word of God telling you, that you are never alone, and the character of God that he is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all we can ask or even imagine! As the Bible says more times than I can count: “And it came to pass…”
This too shall pass.
What is in front of you that needs you to apply grace and truth to it? Is it a loss? Is it a failure? or maybe you can not forgive yourself or someone else? Take a moment to be honest with God. He already knows it anyway….
Now ask God to show you the truth from the word of God that applies to you and your situation. Let God and his word define you, not your circumstance.
Finally, thank God that he will show you how to let go, or to hold this thing loosely, so you can see it from his eternal perspective. Then wait. Time will make the difference.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
