We all want acceptance. Or so it seems to me, at least on some level. We want and hope to be accepted for who and what we are, to be affirmed and loved and cherished and honored as is, not for who we might be or even want to be.
This is the root of so much pain, heartache, and misunderstanding, isn’t it?
For example, the other day, I realized that I’ve spent decades hoping and trying to be accepted by older siblings. I did not feel really accepted and loved as I am and for who I am and for what I’ve done. Instead, from an early age, I felt constantly dismissed or criticized for various reasons, whether that was actually the case or not, and whether the fault lay with me or someone else. It was how I felt, and still feel to some degree. So then, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, the special gift my siblings recently gave me of a camera lens had a much broader significance. It demonstrated love from them in a way I had not felt before, or at least in a very long time. I was told in very clear and specific terms that I was loved.
Of course, there is a spiritual source to all of this. God is love. He loves in measure far beyond our comprehension. And He accepts us as we are, for who and what and where we are. It is always good for me to be reminded of this radical love, acceptance, and grace. We often fail to show love to others, and others often fail to show love to us, but He never fails to do so, and the eternal testimony of that is the gift of His beloved son, Jesus, sacrificed on a cross for us.
