By the Grace Of...

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I believe in many things. God just doesn't happen to be one of them. Strangely, I believe in many of the same things religious people believe in. Just with a secular twist.

  • Faith. I believe in it so much that I live by it. My faith, however, is not in some higher power that may or may not hear my prayers and may or may not choose to grant them. My faith lies purely within myself. Within my strength. Within my honesty. Within my ability to see the positive in people. Within my achievements and my failures. I have faith that everything will work out...eventually...and that peace and happiness will return.

  • Forgiveness. My forgiveness comes from within. And I don't have to ask God and wait for His reply. True healing cannot occur when grudges are held or past trespasses are continually dredged up. I believe that 99% of people do their best 99% of the time. Mistakes are made. People fuck up, hurt others, hurt themselves. Shit happens. I believe that it is within my power to heal those hurts with forgiveness. I don't hold on. I let go. Of everything. I forgive myself and others and move on.


  • Grace. Grace isn't God's charity, nor is it my charity. For me, grace is tied to both faith and forgiveness. It's a safe haven, a solid foundation, a platform, a springboard, a compass. It's a starting point or a safe place to land. It's the acknowledgment that no one is perfect, that mistakes are make. It's knowing that one step in the right direction can change everything. It's believing that everyone carries the power within to be the best they can be. It's knowing with the greatest certainty that love conquers all.

  • Love. "But the greatest of all these is love..."  I find courage within love. I use love to push out fear. I love myself and others. I love through the greatest of odds. I love through success and failure, hurts and healing. Put in the simplest terms, I love. I honestly don't know another option.

I've been told I'm godly, Christian even. I don't aspire to any of that. I believe my power is much greater than any God would grant. And the funny thing is I believe that very same power resides within all of us. Most people get so bogged down in their failings and hurts that they fail to acknowledge it. They refuse to rise above because they don't know they can.

In the deepest parts of my heart and soul, I know that I have the power to heal. To heal myself  and others. This doesn't mean I am perfect. I've made my share of mistakes, given into fear, hurt others. I've failed. Epically even. That said, I always seem to find my way back to the path and the things I believe in - faith, forgiveness, grace, and love.

The path is there for all of us. It may be overgrown and impossible to see at times, but it's there. It's there. All we have to do is seek it out. And believe me, we don't need God for that.

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