The Business Side of Grace

God is in the business of grace. Part of living under grace is that we can experience God’s forgiveness. He doesn’t give us a pass on our sin. Regardless of our transgression he forgives us and wants us change course and follow the directions of his cleansing word. It is a mighty powerful experience when you’ve asked for, and been given, the grace of God through forgiveness.

But there is another side to this coin. There are those individuals that you have wronged in your path of sin. Those people don’t’ have the same attributes of God. They are not all loving or all knowing. They are frail human beings with feelings. If you’ve trampled someone in your past and owned up to that before God that is wonderful news. But the ramifications of your sin towards others is an entirely different matter.

I’m afraid we’ve mistakenly thought that forgiveness by God alone is enough to settle what we’ve done to others in our paths. Making past mistakes right involves having a “hat in your hand” attitude toward those you’ve wronged.

I’ve watched countless folks (myself included) march on after having God’s forgiveness lavished on them without giving one second of a care about the hurt and destruction they left in their paths.

Regardless of the time that’s passed, it is never too late to right a wrong with someone you’ve dealt wrongly with. They might not actually remember or care that you steamrolled them. But it is likely that it’s been a festering wound for them that’s never healed.

You can lance those sores and allow them to heal buy telling them how wrong you were. Ask for their forgiveness. They might not offer that in return to you. But nonetheless you should make amends however  you possible can. Healing will be a process and can be slow. But the release for both you and those you’ve wronged is nothing less than a second blast of grace from our good God.     

A Social Commentary - from a Native Texas

So it is acceptable (demanded) that we allow every form of immigrant into the U.S. whether by swimming, free airplane ride, or military transport. And in those transportation lanes people fast track to social security benefits, food stamps, subsidized housing, exemptions from many normal legal requirements. And if you happen to be pregnant with child you are set once that child bounces out on our soil. You anchored your life and family to our country by default.

Yet if a potential LEGAL immigrant to our land applies for temporary entry status and follows the existing law, they are relegated to a long line of red tape and processes that can last for up to 10 years before completion and approval. And this legal process can cost thousands of dollars and hours of frustrating and detailed paperwork. Yet with one simple memo, phone call or the swipe of an executive pen - entry into our country can move forward with lightning speed. 

The whole process is flawed and frowns upon doing the right thing by simply making it so hard that it frustrates the person who really has a desire to come and be a part of this great social experiment we call democracy. Why go legal when going illegal is so easy?!  -  So is the state of our current immigration policy in the U.S.

We’ve always been a land of opportunity. And we’ve always been a country of immigration. That is what made us great to have a melting pot of people from every land and nation coming together to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that our forefathers fought and died to provide us. America was great because of our diversity in that we came from many places and then assimilated with one common goal to live free and independent. Part of independence is becoming an American. Not a German or Italian or Scottish American, but simply an American. First generation immigrants always had the remnants of their respective dialect and language, but the intent was to come to our land and become one of us. Now, there are 2nd and even third generation immigrants who still fumble with communication because they refused to assimilate and learn to become one of us. 

The founders, framers and authors of our constitution and laws based their conclusions and penned guidelines on solid principles of law and ORDER. Yet with the change of a generation or two we find ourselves condoning and actually promoting how we allow ignorance (or down right law breaking) because we are told it is the loving and caring thing to do to allow open borders. Not just give us your tired and hurting wounded people yearning to be free, but give us your leftovers and undesirables looking to be care for. Foolishness of the highest order prevails in this whole process.

We must put the brakes on lawlessness and return to civil standards of due process that benefits all of us. We cannot continue to be overrun with any and every special interest group that calls themselves refugees. That word used to have some meaning. Now it only means a ticket to our land.

Our land is besieged by tyrants and lawbreakers all the way up to the highest halls of governance. We need to stop the nonsense now and return to a land of law and order and sensibility. If we don’t reverse course we will be crushed under the weight of our own ignorance and foolishness. 

Blogging here will be all about things that Texans understand and relate to on a daily basis. Our culture is just different than the other lower 48. Our sense of humor is different. Our sense of style is also outside of the considered norm. The things Texans do for fun might be considered work for many. The foods we eat may not have a recipe at all. Some of our cooking just happens as it happens. Our language may be considered sloppy or crude at times, but that is just part of being Texan. If you are a true Texan you will understand the things we will share here. It you are not one of us, the things you read might make you hang around and learn.

The rules in Texas are simple. Be honest and open. Tell it like it is. Simple is better. Space is unlimited. Think BIG, live BIG. Treat others with respect but don't let them get away with nothing that just ain't right. Work hard and long, but play even longer and harder. Enjoy the land and the bounty that our creator gave us. That's right, there is a creator of this all. Let's make these things all very clear. True Texas folk are real. If you don't like our land or our customs or cooking, there are plenty of wide open highways that will take you back to where you love. We only brag about things that are true.  

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