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Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Matthew 7:3-5 (ESV)

Have you ever prayed for God’s grace and mercy?

I’m sure you have. Each of us on this grief-journey most likely pray for grace and mercy at some point along the way.

I recently suffered another heartbreak in my life. Sometimes I get weary and just plain tired of heartbreak. It’s as if I want to scream, “God, have I not suffered enough? Has my price not been great enough?”

Don’t get me wrong, I KNOW that even in the midst of my tragedy, I am still abundantly blessed. But sometimes this life and its struggles just wear me out.

It’s then that I’ve to go “old-school” and simply fall on my knees.

There is nothing that says we have to pray on our knees for it to be heard or have “more power”, but I find that when I am on my knees, my heart changes. When I still have the strength to stand, I don’t seem to need God as much or completely depend upon His power.

When I am on my knees, I am saying, “God, this is Yours. I have no control, no resource within myself, all I have is You. I bow before You.”

Yet, isn’t that EXACTLY where He wants us to be?

Isn’t being totally dependent upon Him what truly gives us strength and power, because it’s His not ours?

As I was going through this recent heartbreak, I found myself being critical of others involved and how they handled the situation. As I prayed through it, I felt convicted.

I ALWAYS want God to show grace and mercy to me, but I was not showing near enough of it to those around me, nor was I sure how merciful I wanted Him to be with them.

WRONG-I was just wrong. It is the Matthew 7 speck vs. log thought process. I wanted to point out to God what they did wrong; like He needs my help. I wanted God to heal me and change them.

Grief is hard and messy.

Not everyone grieves the same way and not everyone respects the way we grieve. Yet, if I want God to be loving and kind to me, I have to be willing for Him to be just as loving and kind to them. I can’t ask for God to be creative with me and not allow Him to be just as creative with others. We are all His works in progress. Our stories are not finished and our pictures are not yet completed. He is working His masterpiece in each of us.

Some days I have to remember we ALL need grace and mercy.

At the end of the day, I simply need to ask God to heal and change me, (that’s examining my own eye) and to have His way in the lives of those around me.

Lord, Help us to love others as we love ourselves and to work on removing the logs from our own eyes, through Your healing hands. In Jesus name. Amen