The Condel family moved across the street from us long after the neighborhood had been full. They took the last lot on Gettysburg Rd (we had the second house on Epler Dr – can you follow that?). Here’s the thing. They had a TWO story house. AND it had white columns, of all things! Nobody had a two story house until you got to the rich folk up on Inspiration Hill. Who were these people!? Turns out they were ordinary as you and me. Four kids and Mr. Condel worked at Kelly Field ( a post WWII hospital for sick airplanes). Dee Dee was my younger sister’s grade but somehow I managed to spend the night in the Condel household a few times. Dee Dee could be fun. Mostly what I remember about those overnights was roaming their abode. On the wall on the upstairs wall was a needlepoint (didn’t know THAT word in 1962). Why it caught my attention I don’t know? But here’s what it said: “To Err is Human, to Forgive is Divine”. ERR? Wasn’t quite sure what that meant? Maybe do something wrong? And forgiving is DIVINE? Let me tell you not only was The Moore family not talking too much forgiveness in those days. But DIVINE? That was a heavy hitting word. Six years in Parochial Catholic school told me that had to do with GOD… I was curious and it stuck. That’s all I can say.
More than five decades later I GET IT! Now the word ERR has been replaced with SIN or ‘ acting from the frightened parts of my personality’ or at the very least, doing something I will regret or feel lousy about later. I understand that me and the entire HUMAN race are into that kinda thing and indulge multiple times daily.
Why is that? Maybe nobody knows for sure but I’m pretty certain that it has to do with all sorts of fears that are running the show. Right now I’m more interested in all this FORGIVENESS angle to the problem. As a grown woman I’m finally taking forgiveness literally and it stumps me. I am paralyzed. It is delicious to talk about forgiveness, especially when it addresses minor petty stuff. Very romantic. The other day I had a situation that called for the REAL THING. I was humbled. Forgiveness is the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to do. It stuck in my throat. I couldn’t get the words out. Why would I give up all my power to another human being?Where would that leave me? Say I’m wrong? Yikes! But I wanted to feel close to the other person ( this time it happened to be my husband, Steve). It was more painful to be separate. Guess what? I think that’s when the DIVENE thing happened. Pure desire to be close with my sweetie Stevie called forth the Divine and the words came. Pretty COOL!
This feels like the beginning and I have lots more to learn about forgiveness and the Divine but I’m confident that it’s going to get better and better. 😊
My World My Words 