EMBRACE
to hold someone in your arms as a way of expressing love or friendship;
to accept (something or someone) readily or gladly;
to use (an opportunity) eagerly
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
The word stood out when I came across it. I began noticing it more frequently in my reading. Was this to be my focus-word for the year? It connotes such a feeling of warmth, kindness, and love--at least at first glance.
Until you live a word, walk with it and in it, and feel how your life reacts to it, you can't know how thought-provoking and challenging it can be. I've been holding the word in the forefront of my mind through the recent weeks of good days and bad days.
I decided EMBRACE was too hard to live with for a whole year!
But...
I couldn't shake myself free of it.
The easy stuff? I've managed to embrace the 8 degree mornings we've had, probably because I don't have to work outside. It's a snap to embrace the warm winter days, like today!
A bit uncomfortabIe? Embracing what I see of the good in me and, much harder, the not-so-good things that I often believe make up the larger part of me.
Hmmm, it's usually, but not always, easy to truly embrace relationships in your life. Humans will inevitably fall short of what you crave and think you need from them.
Ewwww. Without too much difficulty and with some careful definitions of Love, I can say that I love my enemies. But embrace? To embrace seems so much more personal. It involves acceptance--not approval, but rather, recognition of a situation's or person's worthiness to be loved. Are my mind and heart required to virtually hold someone in my arms?
I ponder the "embraceability" of Life assaulted with all these things and more:
crippling disease, pain, and death
wars, torture, torturers
self-serving politicians
birth defects
greed
hunger
abuse
hatred among people
And yet, I embrace it.
At this point I should add, I'm also considering this bit of scripture:
Ecclesiastes 3:5 New English Translation (NET Bible)
5 A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
I know there is wisdom here, and it reminds me slightly of Jesus' instructions to the apostles in this verse:
Mark 6:11 (NET)
If a place will not welcome you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them."
So, here's how I think it will go: I approach a person or circumstance, pleasant or otherwise, and in my good moments, I think "embrace." If I'm able to enhance or adjust my focus to see in a way of cherishing, accepting, or availing myself of opportunity, the experience should be transformational.
I'm making a list of tools that may help me. It includes Love, of course, and patience, prayer, hope, gratitude, forgiveness, humility, service to others, and I'm sure there are many, many more. Oh! I have to add courage! .....and.....etc. etc. etc.
And that's about it for now. I have many things waiting for my embrace.
Peace--bb
And that's about it for now. I have many things waiting for my embrace.
Peace--bb
