Sherds from a jar of clay

My friend Nancy has a blog and writes an occasional column for a local weekly paper. Last week her article and a follow up blog post this week dealt with the subject of the apology and how we don't really offer real ones any more. (It a nice little comment on the various avoidance tactics used by celeb's, politicians and probably a lot of us) Then my mother-in-law sent me a link to a Ladies' Home Journal article she had read in the doctor's office. It was about saying sorry and how often women seem to do it often as a social convention and/or a reflex action. (As my M-I-L said, "Not deep, but interesting in that it acknowledges the problem.", I would add that it has a very feminist slant that I don't totally agree with) I know I probably have done the former because who likes to apologize, and I know I am a grade A1 practicioner of the latter (for example, I seem to recall continually saying "I'm sorry" for the seven tries and 30+ minutes it took for the Dr. to successfully insert the epidural during my son's delivery).

I need to stop both types of less then perfect apology styles. Instead I need to get better at the honest and humble apology. The kind that is really meant and is grounded in the only true basis for apology and forgiveness, namely, all that God daily forgives me for on the basis of Christ's death and sacrifice on the cross. My husband really helped bring this into focus for me when one night he witnessed me have a disagreement with a coworker and then, under my breath, curse the coworker as he walked away. Paul called me to task and made me see my need to not only apologize to the coworker when possible, but to seek forgiveness from God immediately. (to Paul's additional credit he was able to forgive my behavior and still proposed to me later that same night) The incident made me see clearly that my sin and lack of/wrong apologies harmed not only my relationships with others but also with God.

I am no paragon of the good apology but I can testify that when I remember to humbly and honestly seek forgiveness from others and from God it has a powerful ability to renew my spirit, my attitude and my relationships. I pray that I would become better at doing this and at modeling it before my children.

Now back to your other reading.....