The Passion of People

This last month has shown the passion of people in the largest extent. We all have been passionate about issues that interest us. Whether it is about football, religion, addiction, children, soccer, dance...and yes, the ELECTION. Politics has basically taken over every household in America. Sadly, it has brought the worst out in so many of us, including myself.

The last month has been a difficult one for my family, yet has also been an eye opener. We had just appeared with Senator Blunt in a round table discussion about addiction and the drug problems in Missouri and in less than a week, we found ourselves in a situation we didn't expect. Without notice, we made the decision to move Addi back home with us. Without notice, I felt hurt and disappointment in PEOPLE. However, today, I sat in a church service and listened to the awesome Robin Sigars talk about "grace"; about loving people who do not have the same views as you; and how a person shouldn't let their own pride stand in their way of loving other people. That is exactly what I have allowed myself to do these past few weeks. I have allowed my own stance of being "right" to overshadow my own faith and my own happiness. People fail people. People are imperfect. I am imperfect. I fail people.

It is hard to decipher what a person should do in the time of strife. Sometimes our passions get the best of us and lately I haven't even blogged for fear I would say something I regret.  I have personal critics who post about me on social media. I have certain people that hope my daughter fails so that they will feel better about their own choices. I have people who criticize me for not being anonymous about her addiction and I have people who don't agree with me encouraging the 12 Steps. The true reality is--I cannot please everyone, nor can any person. We are all on this earth to co-exist and truly, the one thing we can and should have in common is GRACE. We should all look upon each other with forgiving, non-judgmental eyes.  In an era where we ALL get our feelings hurt, we all have our "platforms" and we all have the issues that mean most to us---we should understand that EVERYONE does.

When someone stumbles, we must exercise compassion. It is easy for me to sit here and type, knowing my daughter has 8 months of sobriety under her belt, is doing well in college and has a passion for God that inspires me. It was easy for me to become comfortable with "out of sight-out of mind" and to enjoy the days that she was tucked away, safe from the world---but is that the right way to feel? Probably not. She is my daughter and ultimately this is where her family is and where she should be. Currently, she is flourishing in an environment that I once believed destroyed her. Rather, she feels the need to scream at the top of her lungs, "There is a way out of the darkness" that others may not see. She has the grace to help others. She has grace to do the "dirty work."  I don't. I am a work in progress. I can easily type all day long and talk to safe rooms of people, but there is another side of me, when I see a name from her past, that I feel like "Never talk to that dirt bag again or I will slit his throat." That is wrong of me. That dirtbag is still someones son, someones brother, someones father, perhaps. Grace is not delved out to people selectively, when it is true and pure grace.

We all have our passions. We all have our "soap box" and we all have certain issues that trip our triggers more than others---but in all reality, we are all just "people." When you set your eyes on "people" you are bound to be disappointed each and every time. So--fill your week with grace, fill your week with optimism and also, know---THERE IS LIGHT. When you feel passionate, remember...we are all just people.