History and Grace

I felt it was important to take time out to write about a day we recently had, this day will go down in history. On Tuesday, November 4, 2008 we elected the first African American President to the United States. I am so proud to be part of such history. I downloaded a transcript of his speech (making a word document out of it) and now I see I can not attach it. As I write, I will debate on including it as a whole or grabbing some of the many touching parts.

It was the very next day that I saw a man walking into the post office that sparked much of what I want to write in this entry. This man was probably around 75-85 years old, even without the best posture he walked with such pride and his skin was a beautiful shade of brown. As he walked by and we both smiled I got into my car and cried. I started thinking about all the reactions to this election. His, mine, and those who are angry. I've been listening either on the news or even on (this great way to communicate) Facebook and the responses are, well, alarming. These reactions started me thinking....

I'm not sure how many that read this are faithful and I'm not sure you even need to be to understand some of my thoughts and feelings. I think that it is important to write them down for many reasons, mainly for my little boy. However, if grace stirs in your heart...that's wonderful!

We before conception, I'm fairly certain, were not in heaven looking down and choosing our social demographic, color of skin and parents. So when we're born we are who we've been chosen to be (or for some the luck of the draw). Do we as humans choose to be a) a little girl with dark skin who will one day be asked to sit in the back of the bus? b) a little white boy who's father touches him inappropriately? c) a rich, brown skinned little boy who fights daily with his heritage because both sides are unexcepting? or d) a little white girl who's raised by her nanny rather than her parents because they are driven to the almighty dollar vs. loving their daughter?

Guess what Americans you didn't get to choose who you were. You do however get to choose who you are. And yes, you get to choose who you are regardless of how you were raised (another blessed choice). I believe we all were carefully crafted beautifully and placed just where each of us needed to be. I believe God gave us his son to cleanse us of our sins so that the sinful choices we do make have already been forgiven. His hope is that we learn from those choices and not live with blame but rather a soft heart that is full of forgiveness (and I'm not ignoring accountability). We need to learn what it is to be a "good person", for if you took a poll I'm certain you'd get slightly different answers or those from our commandments. And those who quote the commandments are especially interesting when they then decide that how we got those commandments are bogus, better yet some should apply and others not so much.

Where is your heart? Are you full of pride because you grew up in a large home and received everything you wanted? Are you full of anger because you didn't grow up that way? Did my son choose to be raised in a split home where his Mommy and Daddy no longer love each other that way anymore? Did your neighbor choose to be dark skinned only to have people hate him because of it?

I think I'll come back to this. It's time to get ready for tumble class with my boy. He's been wiggling around for me to finish so I will close for now asking any who read this to think about what I've said. I didn't write this to spark debate on faith but rather for you to stop and think about the very simple question, did you get to choose who you started out to be? The answer is NO. Let's give ourselves and each other some heart filled grace. I bet you'll see the world differently and feel lighter as a result.

(I'll post the transcript of details of it later.)