Embrace The Different
/
“But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.” Genesis 33:4 (NIV)
Recently, I was blessed with several huge hugs from my sweet six-year-old nephew, Wyatt. He hugged me so tight that I fell over with joy holding him in my arms. I squeezed him tight and laughed with him, and he kept hugging me. It was a gift to hold my dear nephew and see his smile and his eyes light up in recognition of his aunt. He wanted more hugs, and I embraced him in love.
To embrace someone is to welcome them with open arms, to hold, to hug, and to accept completely. It is easy to embrace a child who is eager to be held and loved. It feels so natural and fills you with gratefulness and joy. I cherish these moments. We embrace those we love, and we open wide our hearts to those who are dear to us.
How do you embrace change when life is different from what you expected or hoped? To embrace change means you open yourself up to going a different path and you accept change as a natural part of your life. So, do you embrace change, or do you try to stay in the familiar and comfortable fighting against anything different? For example, can you rearrange a room, move furniture, and reduce the items in the room without anxiousness or dread? If this is difficult for you, you may be a person who enjoys life staying the same and not deviating from the norm. Embrace this for now, but know life is guaranteed to change at some point.
To embrace is an acceptance of the situation or the person. To embrace the different is to accept the completion of life as it was in the past. You embrace the memories. You embrace the love that remains in your heart. You embrace with thanksgiving the privilege of sharing life together. You release yourself to live into the present.
Sometimes life feels like you are hugging a porcupine – it hurts. Life has pain and heartache, but can you embrace it as part of life? You may be angry at life and your current situation, and you struggle with acceptance. You may not be angry at God, but at where life has taken you. To embrace the pains and hurts of life just means you take in the trials as part of life, and you can still embrace God knowing He is still with you through the pain. No matter how much you embrace some people in your life, they still hurt you like a porcupine. It is learning to hug quickly, accept them for who they are, and then step away. You acknowledge them but do not live in the hurt and pain they cause.
I am learning to embrace the different in life. I recognize the need for change especially when I get frustrated, discouraged, and disappointed. It is usually because I assume something that is no longer true. I expect people to be supportive and to do what I would do in the situation. I am learning to embrace people for who they are and to release who I expected them to be. It allows me not to be controlled by the choices and views of others.
In this different, I am also learning to embrace the Presence of God. I am more aware that God is with me each moment. God wants me to embrace the life He has for me and to stay focused on His presence. God is always aware of me and waiting to embrace me with His love and grace. I am learning to live in God’s tempo of life not mine and embrace the present moment.
Life is different. Embrace the change and seek to find the joy in moments.
********************
Check out my new book – Live Different Moments. Each chapter has an Annie story. Annie will guide you in living into life.
My NEW book – Live Different Moments - Available on Amazon -
My Books – Living In The Different and Life Lessons of a Lone Trooper – Available on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Lessons-Lone-Trooper-Legacy/dp/0998310255/
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Different-passages-through-sorrow/dp/0998310239/
