My One Word: Acceptance. The Antidote to Anxiety, Part 1

You’ve seen her too.

 

She comes home from that date when their voices whispered late into the night and she walks slowly, head up, hips swinging a bit wider. She moves through the day, his words to her still forcing a glow.

 

She is loved, desired. Chosen.

 

She smiles slow. She has no misconceptions of perfect and perfect’s no longer important. She is desired. She doesn’t have to strain for love, prove her worthiness for it.

 

This is the foundation underneath Acceptance.

 

It is love rooted deep.

 

If we are this loved by the God of the Universe, we can be free to explore.  If His glorious forgiveness has sculpted us out of the rock that held us, we can grow fearless.

 

We can walk slowly through life with His words laid fresh against our cheek.

 

“Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away” (S of S 8:7a)

 

If He accepts me then I can wear acceptance like a gown, walk the ordinary carpets of life with contentment.

 

Acceptance has always been my struggle. Have you seen it in my walk? I walk marching forward half present in the next moment. Striving. I forget to walk slow listening for His voice. How often do I still walk into a room of strangers as if I’m pulling open the heavy door of my sterile junior high?

 

I forget I have already unwrapped and received the gift.

 

Acceptance is the word halfway through the year I wanted to change to.  It’s the word I promised I’d choose for this next 365 days.

 

I want it tattooed, inked across my left hand so I can glance at it and the breath held tight can release.

 

It says: Be present here.

 

It whispers Ephesians 5:2: Walk in love as Christ loved you and gave Himself for you an offering and sacrifice to God.

 

Acceptance means being intentional and asking: where is this struggle coming from? Can I set it down, move through acceptance to thanksgiving?

 

Acceptance is a moving through into the wide open.

 

Acceptance is love rooted deep, arms receiving.  It’s that little flower in Hinds Feet on High Places looking up to the Giver, receiving the drops that come: Acceptance with Joy.

 

Acceptance is a saying Yes to the gifts He has given.

 

It is joining God by saying, “It is good” as we gaze at His created beings, ourselves included.

 

It is an opening of the heart to drink:

“Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music-the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.” (Henry Miller)

 

Acceptance is the surest way to forgetting myself.

 

Acceptance is a looking into the eyes of the unknown heart un-judgmentally and being present to their struggle, standing in awe of their being made in His image.

 

It swings open the door to love. Acceptance says: I love you as you are right now and we’ve got all the time in the world.

 

Acceptance puts room between me and the dreams gathered tight. I can enjoy them with the Lord like watching koi in a pond, seeing their scales shimmer as they come to the surface. I can allow them to grow and change without the panic to grasp them, squeezing bulging muscles tight.

 

Acceptance is getting quite comfortable with failure and imperfection and still walking forward. It’s pushing open the window to healthy vulnerability.

 

Acceptance looks like a cross, arms outstretched,

 

Open.

photo credit here

Do you have one word you are beginning to live?  If instead of a ladder of resolutions you chose one life-changing word, which would you choose?

joining the amazing storyteller, Laura Boggess here: