My husband gave me a bouquet of roses for Valentine’s Day. One of them, as you can see in this picture, is dying and looking pretty bad. I plucked that one out and tossed it. I didn’t throw out all the other beautiful roses just because one in the bunch was ugly.
I didn’t choose to condemn my whole bouquet because of one bad flower.
But yet…do we sometimes do that in our relationships? Do we fixate on the ONE time our hubby got it wrong…instead of the 99 other times he got it right?
Do we focus on the proverbial glass half empty…instead of glass half full? I daresay for most of us, the glass is more than half full.
The harshness, or criticism or disappointment that you received might be rare. And if it is, then seize that opportunity to extend grace. If your friend or your spouse or your child is typically an encourager who displays kindness and brings joy, then embrace those rare opportunities to extend grace. Don’t jump on that step out of line, but see it as a rare opportunity for you to extend grace.
Some of you have many opportunities ….some of us not so many. Don’t waste those grace opportunities. And don’t jump on those isolated issues. Keep it all in context.
I Corinthians 13:4-5 says,