Incomplete but accepted

If you think about it, most of us are out of balance. We are either too fat or too thin, too dumb or too smart for our own good, too rich or too poor (most of us feel we are in the latter category), but in either case never satisfied. We fight too much or too little, living in constant anger or in conflict avoidance. We have too much religion living by rules, rules and more rules, or we have too little, doing whatever our hearts desire (but with a whole bunch of unwanted consequences)! We love ourselves too much, thinking only of ourselves, or we love ourselves too little constantly beating ourselves up for our shortcomings and faults. We have too many regrets or none at all, we are too introspective or avoid self examination at all cost! We never admit it when we are wrong, or we are constantly apologizing for even the smallest thing!

We would do well to become more like little children. I don't mean childish. I mean more like little children in the way that they both forgive easily, and accept forgiveness, and then go on happily as if nothing has happened. I am talking about children who are parented well, whose parents exhibit these same qualities. Many of us were not parented this way, but then likely our parents were not parented this way either. But the child within longs for it, even when we are adults.

Perhaps it's no coincidence that we are told that in order to enter the Kingdom, we must become like little children. In the secure, safe environment of the loving parent the child can flourish and live in the balance of knowing they are incomplete but also knowing they are fully accepted. Though there are rules, it's not about rules, it's about the relationship. This is of course the ideal, in too many homes it is more about the rules than the relationship, in other homes there's neither rules nor relationship and in neither case is there safety, peace and security. Neither do the children of such homes grow up balanced.

I was not balanced either, and I am not saying that I have arrived now, but having entered into relationship with the perfect parent through the work of His Son, I am learning to rest in the assurance of His unconditional acceptance which allows me to be realistic about my imperfections, while at the same time not being overcome by them. I am finding peace in the middle ground so that I am not presumptions (i.e I can do what I like because God will forgive me that's His job!), and living in the ongoing cleansing provided by the blood, I am not constantly overwhelmed by guilt and shame! Forgiven and by His grace able to forgive, I am my heavenly Daddy's favourite child. You can be too. Not quite sure how that works but hey, I don't need to, I just need to feel it and accept it!