“Without grace, we are just fighting”

I heard this quote while watching the movie “I Can Only Imagine” yesterday.  No matter how you sit on the topic of religion.. I would highly recommend going to see this movie.  It was incredibly inspiring and thought provoking.  The movie tells the story behind the song “I Can Only Imagine” which involved a man losing his dad after many years of suffering abuse within the family.  One of the main themes was forgiveness along with grace.  This quote, “without grace, we are just fighting” stayed with me long after I left the theatre.

These words stayed with me during meditation and made me reflect deeply on the relationships in my life.  We talk about in class “letting go of what no longer serves us” and I think this quote ties right in with grace as well.  If we want something to be just, then maybe it is worth the fight.  But if we are fighting knowing that we do not wish to forgive the person… then it is wasted time.  At that point it is better to let go of the situation or person and free ourselves of that burden.  Not all forgiveness ends in friendship, sometimes its just about keeping a healthy relationship with yourself.  We can’t keep punishing ourselves or another person by bringing up old wounds that will never heal, it is just best to leave them alone.

After the movie we went out to dinner at Outback and the waitress was wearing lotus flower earrings.  I cannot recall another time I’ve ever seen another person wearing lotus flower earrings… yet this powerful symbol walked right up to me as a reminder.  The lotus flower is a powerful symbol in yoga, reminding us that we too can grow out of the mud and bloom into something beautiful.  It also reminds us that muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone.  Taking time today to let it be, give grace, and give forgiveness for myself as well as others.

Namaste, Angela