Self acceptance. I think most people on this earth want self acceptance, pray for self acceptance. When...elementary, my dear Watson...the only way to get self acceptance is to accept our self just exactly as we are right this very minute.
Why is that so hard? So hard to get...to do?
I got my first glimmer of my base problem in high school when I was forced to accept that I have fine (now thinning) hair. The homecoming queen had thick, luscious, curly hair. So, of course, I went to her beautician looking to get a haircut that would make my hair BE exactly like hers. Failed, of course...blamed the beautician, of course.
I'm half embarrassed to admit that I was still doing this...it may not even be past tense yet.
But the same principle applies in finding the God of our own understanding. So many of us, well into adulthood, blame our first teachings of God for our refusal to let God be alive in us today. Either we fear him for being an avenger "because that's what we were taught" or we resent him for not being Santa Clause "because that's what we were taught."
I'm convinced that it is our refusal to accept our own self just as we are right this very minute (I'm talking warts, folks, big warts with hairs on 'em)...and joy in it!..that blocks our accepting a God of our own understanding. Plus, what if Gertrude's is bigger, better, stronger, wiser? What if I am wrong?
That's not all. If we would accept not only our warts but also our loving kindness ("I'm not really...I should do more, be better, etc."), we wouldn't need to be begging God every other minute to remove this, grow that, stop me, start me. We would free our self up to take the spiritual...and practical...steps toward making the change in our own attitude about our self. Then we could learn to love and laugh at who we are right this very minute.
Let's face it, we are each as close to perfect as we are ever going to be up to this very minute. Love that! Can't help but laugh now, can we?
Thank you.
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