Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
As dysregulated as my 9-year-old son has been for quite some time...this is the passage I need to adapt as my mantra to help keep me on the right track.
As hard as it may be for ME to cope with his challenges, I need to keep reminding myself how much harder it is for HIM to cope.
I remember reading a story years and years ago (so the details are sketchy for me), but it had something to do with the people of a village being told that among their children, one of them was the Christ child, and as a result, all the children were treated with the utmost love and care because no one knew exactly who it was. As a Catholic, I believe that we are all called to BE Christ for one another in the way that we love and forgive one another....and I recognize that it's often the hardest to love those with whom we spend the most time.
I see the challenge before me to strive to love both my children and my husband as God has loved me...and as God loves them...with love and mercy. They're going to make mistakes. So am I. But I believe in the healing power of forgiveness, and as I start my day this morning, I am going to make a conscious effort to be more merciful--
to show compassion to someone in distress.
Liz