How much of an allowance?
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Colossians 3:13, NLT
I learned to sew at a fairly early age. Once I was ready to make something substantial, we went to the fabric store, picked out a pattern, chose the material, and came home to work. The first step is always cutting out the pattern.
Except, I didn’t know which line to cut on. I mistakenly picked the seam line and not the allowance line. I trimmed away the space you need on the material in order to properly sew the pieces together. In short, I ruined the project in one quick snip.
We snip at the margins we allow for others, too. We shorten our patience and construct unnecessary boundaries. What if our allowance for them actually brought them closer, allowed us to sew love and encouragement into both of our lives? Let out a little more love on that seam.
ACT
Learn to sew, or if you already know, teach someone else. And don’t forget to show them the right line to cut on.
pray
God, sometimes I want to shorten my allowance for others. I use my own line of measurement instead of yours. Help me let out the seam so we might make a beautiful garment together.