Lessons in Grace
If you were here with me in person, I’d smile at you, reach out and give you a hug. You’d probably find it awkward, but it would be good for you to feel an embrace that communicates forgiveness and acceptance.
I do appreciate your remorse, and I’m sorry that you are feeling bad about the things you said yesterday. I hope that God’s peace rests on you, and I’ll be praying for that. And I do hope that you and I will not be strangers because of this; I think you’re taking it harder than you need to. Remember that I’ve been through far worse, and that no one has ever communicated that type of concern for my soul in the same manner of genuine care as you did – and knowing that you were trying to speak the truth in love made a big difference.
As I try to think of what else to say to you, mostly what comes to mind is this – that I am grateful for your apologies, but much more importantly, what I am hoping for is your eventual understanding that God’s got all sorts of followers out there – and of course we should never mistake the goats for the sheep. But the sheep and how they graze, how they follow Jesus, and how they do His work, might not always look uniform and the same.
Less than a few days ago, you were traumatized by fear that I lacked faith in a saving grace, and you were gravely concerned about the state of my soul and its security in the one true source of love, Jesus… But it’s precisely because of that grace and love that I can so easily forgive you today. Celebrate it, and pass it on.