The last couple of months I have been struggling with depression, something I may always struggle with. Most people do not know how to love someone that has depression, we have our good days and our bad days, and you never know what you are going to get. It gets frustrating for everyone including Christ. A friend that I hold very close to my heart, asked me what I wanted from her and all I want and need is patience and grace. With these two verbs you will show me love. You do not have to do little acts of service, even though I love those things, it is not needed. All I need is patience and grace. It gets tiring when all your friends are expecting one thing but not telling me what they want or need, because I will contently fail, and contently failing doesn't put anyone is a good mood.
What is patience? It is a big word that many people seem to not understand. "the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like." It is selfless. Accepting things where they are, even if it is not them or not where it is suppose to be, to stand side by side and taking step by step, together. Jesus continues to do this with us. We will always fail Him, but he will always be patient with us, because he loves us no matter what. His patience for us and with us is just a small way he shows us his love, but it is an important way he shows us his love.
What is grace and how is it different from mercy? To me the best way to explain this is through a small story.
A father asked his daughter to not eat a cookie out of the cookie jar while he goes to get his shoes on in the other room. When the father walks back in the girl has a cookie in her hand with crumbed on shirt. The father gently asks his little girl if she ate the cookie, she looks at him with a looks of "I know I have disappointing you"
Grace: the father says "that's okay, I still love you" and goes outside.
Mercy: the father says "that's okay, I still love you, and because I love you I want to get you some ice cream so lets go get some ice cream,"
Grace, is letting go and forgetting where as mercy is letting go and praising you for it with a "reward"
I only want patience. I just want you to work with me, not against me. One way that can help anyone and everyone is open communication and honesty. Open communication and honesty will only make patience and grace come that much easier.
Life goes in season, and some are harder than others. Have patience, grace, honesty and open communication.
