O Israel, hope in the Lord; For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption. - Psalm 130:7, NKJV

http://www.chaosandcritters.com/bible-verse-of-the-day-psalm-1307/

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Music used via Creative Commons license: Music: Sunny Day by Nicolai Heidlas Music
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TRANSCRIPT:
I don't know about you, but I mess things up on a regular basis. I get short tempered, I get frustrated, I stumble in my walk and in my parenting and my marriage and... oh, well, everything!

I try to be patient and understanding when my kids mess things up. I'm not quite as patient with my poor husband, bless him, although I do try! I find, however, that the person I am the least tolerant of and the most critical of is... me. I know that I'm more likely to mess up than to succeed and yet... I berate myself mercilessly when I do.

The worst part? When I am most critical of myself, I am more likely to be critical of others. When I'm busy beating myself up mentally, I don't have the mental and emotional reserve to respond appropriately to normal childhood mishaps or spousal forgetfulness. And that, of course, gives me more to beat myself up about! (Lovely vicious cycle, isn't it?)

Luckily, I'm not in charge. What a relief that is! There is someone that I can hand everything over to and He is the one responsible for how the world works out.

I'm working very hard this month on developing two characteristics: self-compassion and mindfulness. It's hard for me to think in terms of self-compassion. It sounds so... selfish, you know? But it really isn't. When I give myself permission to fail, when I see myself through God's eyes with His mercy and goodness, I am more capable of extending that same grace and mercy to others.

If you think about it, it's kind of arrogant for me to beat myself up when God says that He has redeemed me. Redeemed... bought with a price. A high price. The words used in scripture imply a slave who has been purchased and then set free. So why do I cling to the chains and the flogs? If I have been freed, why continue to castigate myself? It's not good for me, it makes me less loving and understanding towards others and it's pretty insulting to the One who paid that price.

So, instead, I need to be mindful of His grace and mercy. I need to remind myself of that so that I can extend it to others, especially those wonderful people who share my life.