The hardest part of the prayer; the part I ALWAYS have to pause on and concentrate on is this: "and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Sure, I want divine grace, but I have to give it, too? Yea. I have to give it, too. Romans actually says it better than I (Romans 2:1) "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things." There's much more wonderful stuff in that chapter but you probably already know it. It's hard to turn the other cheek, hard to walk away, hard to be misunderstood and maligned and just shrug your shoulders and smile a Christian smile and go forward without biting back; believe me, I used to be an Ace Number One Broom-Rider and I understand this more than you know. It is part of our walk, part of our spiritual growth to become more and more like Him and less and less like ourselves. We are all in different places on the path towards righteousness and if offering grace keeps me from walking backward along it, I pray that I choose grace and keep the broom (or the sword) firmly and peacefully put away.

Ah, but I really didn't answer your questions, did I?

The hardest thing I am in the process of doing is showing grace to my early onset Alzheimer's mother. She relished making my life one of pain and degredation every day for 18 years (well, I really only remember back as far as 3 years old...she may have been kind when I was an infant, but I sincerely doubt it!) She is now quickly becoming feeble and vapid and my elderly father is in denial. I have no brothers or sisters, so I will be up to me to wipe her drool, feed her, change her pants, and all those other necessities while gentling my father into the decisions that will eventually need to be made regarding her care. Do I want to? No. Will I do it anyway? Yes...without question. And not for heavenly reward or affirmation. Just because it is the right thing to do.

wow, kelli - that's a tough one. but what a picture of Christ, to love someone when they are not even able to love you back.

this kind of love is agape love, not the touchy-feely kind of love, but the kind that is a verb. you will do it because Jesus loves you.

ken, i'm still thinking about the question. all i can think of are instances where it must have been impossible for people to show ME grace...

Good post, TG, and FWIW, please know you have my respect, admiration, sympathy. If I could send you a dozen flowers I would.

up to me to wipe her drool, feed her, change her pants, and all those other necessities

If God isn't in the shit with you then He isn't God.

Ps. 139:8 If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

No matter how bad things get, I can cling to His promise He's there, even when I can't see Him or feel him. I like knowing no matter where I go, any place under the sun, He goes with me.

I find showing grace to family usually more difficult than showing it to others--anyone else have that experience?

Maybe not so impossible. I did it. ;)>

lolol....

oh goodness, yes. my mother is the hardest one of all. puts any spiritual pretensions of mine to shame. lots of work to do there.

I agree, showing grace to one's family is almost harder than showing grace to an "enemy". With both you are more emotionally involved than with a stranger or an acquaintance. An attack from a family member feels like betrayal. Of course, this is an area in my walk where it is still very much an uphill climb. One can see if one were to view some of my posts on "Losing My Religion". But Judi and ConnieJane and others, like good Christians, gently corrected me. Eventually, I even heeded their corrections. That, and the excellent examples I have recently discovered. If one knew me, one would know how humbling that is for a know-it-all such as me. (Is this an example of grace on my part? If so, when you pray tonight remind the father that Ira practiced a wee bit of it.)

ha, ha....(ahem)

Once upon a time, in a land called Texas, i worked at a place that had a very hateful maintenance man. my boss and i (who were actually very good friends) were always kind to this man, but he returned our kindness with rudeness. he could be quite verbally abusive.

one day the maintenance man said something horrible in front of a very important visitor. that's it!! we've had it!!! we finally have had enough!! We will submit a complaint and he's outta here!!

We both wrote our statements. i relished writing mine. oh boy, who's getting the last laugh now? HA!!

suddenly my boss, who had led me to the Lord a couple of years earlier, stopped writing and said "This is not what Jesus wants! Jesus wants this man healed and set free!"

my heart sank in my chest. oh no...

"we can't do this, cindy."

"i guess not..." i agreed stiffly, SICK with disappointment - my whole day ruined.

so instead, we planned a very fancy luncheon for...the maintenance department. we went to great trouble and expense. and they all came and loved it...except the hateful maintenance guy.

while i didn't have much of a choice about showing grace in that situation, i'm glad i was kind of 'forced' into it. because after it was said and done, i mainly just felt really sorry for that guy. and we prayed for him all the time. he never changed that we knew of.

the place where i worked eventually was shut down and i never saw him again. but i hope he knows Jesus now.