The words “gracious acceptance” seem to have been walking in and out the door to my consciousness lately. As they walk by, they say “see me”. I even wrote them down in my planner to acknowledge them, but they seem to want more attention. Today I decided to sit down and spend some time with them.
First, I asked what do those words “gracious acceptance” mean. I have struggled with that word acceptance for a long time. When my therapist told me years ago that I needed to accept panic attacks, I told her she was crazy. There was no way I was going to accept those things. They were not “nice”. Why on earth would I want to accept them? Well, over time I have learned that there is much wisdom in learning to just let them “do their thing” without resisting them, which makes them worse. So, that is some of what I know from experience about the word “acceptance.” But what about “gracious”?
You might say the “I…s” I listed could also be called radical hospitality, but not really. “Gracious acceptance” and “radical hospitality” are both things we can do, but practicing “gracious acceptance” is more about a way of being, granted it affects how we act as well.
I wrote the above in the present tense not because I believe I am all those things or do all those things, but because it is what I want. It could easily be a breath prayer. It could even be used with prayer beads as a repetitive prayer using a line for each group of beads. For instance, replacing or adding to the greeting to Mary–Hail Mary….
On the Anglican Rosary configuration, one line could be repeated for each group of the seven “week beads”. The phrase “I practice gracious acceptance” could be used on the “Cruciform beads”.
As I repeat each line, I cannot help but ponder what makes me resist doing and/or being any of those things, but I know I do. Even recognizing and acknowledging that I do is a step forward. My hope is that I will then be able to understand why I resist and work on letting my resistance go.
It is a practice–a continual practice.
Lord, thank you for loving us anyway as we work our way through this life!
