What I Don't Deserve

Pretty much everything in my life would fall into the category of "things I don't deserve." Health. Provision. Love. Friendship. Respect. Safety. Freedom. Grace. Opportunity. Ability. And those are just the big ones. There are plenty of little things that happen every day which would also fall into that category. Free soda at work. My own office with a nice chair. A short commute. A sprinkler system at home. Hot water. Air conditioning. Ice cream. Friends with access to free Astros tickets. My cell phone.

But not everything falls into that category for I often get things I do deserve. For example, I tend to make more commitments than I have time for and that generally gets me in trouble. It brings a degree of stress. It brings feeling overwhelmed. It brings disappointment when I break my promises. Every one of those would fall into the "things I deserve" category. I'm also a "bull in a china cabinet." I've been known to break a dish when I rush to put the dishes away or gore my yard as I try to mow around a part that should be edged. So, broken dishes or a patchy lawn would also fall into the category of "things I deserve." But those aren't as fun to talk about or think about. Let me return to my first thought.

That is the category of "things I don't deserve." As this Tuesday comes to a close I was reminded of two of the greatest things I have that I don't deserve. I was reminded of the joy they bring me. I was reminded of the grace they extend. I was reminded of the acceptance they apply. I was reminded of the understanding they share. I was reminded that no matter what others say, think, or feel that I am received gladly for who I am.

What a joy to have these two in the "things I don't deserve" category!