“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Suddenly it was the mid sixties. Home movies are incredible and with the advent of the smartphone, the need for home movie cameras are just about gone. All you need to do is to reach in your pocket and there at your fingertips is a high quality camera. While home movies are incredible they can sometimes take you back to a time and remind you of a you you wish you could forget.
The other day when I rediscovered those home movies from the sixties I was reintroduced to a nerdy kid that looked very familiar. It was me. While everyone in every film acted just a little more casual than today, the ten year old Dewayne was, well, just a bit irritating. Let me explain. From what I saw, little Dewayne, tended to be a camera hog. He seemed to race from place to place to stay somewhere near the lens. What’s more, he seemed to enjoy acting, uh, nerdy. The word “prancing” crossed my mind more than once as I watched the film.
Now to be honest, I was probably acting like most boys my age acted. Times were different then and being ten then isn’t the same as it is now. But I found myself wanting to tell the kid of the screen to tone it down, to notch it down, a bit. And it was just about then some old memories of less than kind criticisms came to my mind. I began to understand why I was given the name “Precious” and I also realized it wasn’t necessarily a compliment but a criticism. I found myself kinda embarrassed and bruised from a 60 year old memory.
Once my wife Judy asked me why I responded a certain way in a certain circumstance and I think I discovered the reason. Names given a long time ago had somehow become tattooed on my heart and have remained there from the years. Now I’m not telling this story for sympathy rather I am telling it to share a lesson learned. Seeing little Dewayne helped me understand that I should be much more graceful to the people I bump into today. I should show the kindness and understanding I wish others had shown me then.
So, who is it in your life that you need to extend just a little more love, a little more grace and a little more understanding? Oh, and by the way, it certainly doesn’t have to be a child–it might be someone who struggles not to act out in childish ways. Remember none of us are perfect, in fact, we have all fallen way short of God’s standard. So when you bump into someone, even if that someone reminds you of you, be sure and extend a dump truck of grace and kindness. Too hard? Not with the help of your Dearest Daddy because, after all, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 