Faithful Friday

 Happy friYAY! For the Friday feels this week, it's Faithful Friday. Today I am talking about the Kindness we show others and ourselves.

Last week, I overdrew my checking account. 😲 Yup, I overdrew it by ALOT and I was upset. (Wouldn't you be?!) AND the worst part,  I found this out at night so there wasn't much I could do right then and there. I check my bank's mobile app almost everyday and that is how I found out the bad news. I was sad that I wasn't more careful with my withdrawals and I giggled at the fact that it was me moving my money to my savings account that I was over-zealous about and didn't remember I paid my credit card too. I was embarrassed that I bounced a check for the oil change the week earlier. OOPS! We all make mistakes right?! 

Saturday morning, I got up bright and early to go fix this mess. I prayed that the bank would reversed the NSF (not suffient funds) charges and the autobody shop would be nice to me as well. I was relying on others for Kindness that day. I went to the bank first and plead my case citing that I have been a really good customer of theirs for over 10 years and I haven't done this in a VERY long time. The bank manager could not have been nicer and since I opened my account at another branch, she said she would contact that branch for me (so I didn't have to drive to the new 'home' branch) and she said she would call me later. Phew! That was easy. I was hopeful she was going to be able to fix this mess I made but I didn't want to count my chickens before they hatched. 

On to the autobody shop; I was nervous going there because they probably didn't even I bounced the check and they wouldn't know until they got their checking statement next month. I took a deep breath and walked in. I explained my situation and after I got explaining it, I think the assistant manager was at first a little perplexed but she understood what I was doing. I told her I was paying in cash and I am terribly sorry this happened. I left feeling better that I made good on the mess I have made. 

Later that day, I checked my banking app and I found a surprise reversal of charges on my account. PRAISE! She kept her promise and she did what she said she was going to do. I was so relieved to have those charges reversed. Being kind and owning your mistakes totally helped me in this situation.

Seeing the kindness the manager at the bank showed me, got me thinking about how sometimes we are not kind to ourselves. We are usually kinder to everyone else BUT ourselves. We are so hard on ourselves and we talk to ourselves terribly. We talk down to ourselves and we aren't kind to ourselves. I try to give myself kindness in the way of grace but its hard to accomplish sometimes.  Its one of the easiest things to give but yet its hard to accept for ourselves. 

These verses have been so helpful with reminding me to be more kind to myself and to give myself grace. 

During this holiday season, I challenge you to give yourself more kindness- not being so hard on yourself and to give yourself grace. We all need it- especially now. 

How do you show yourself kindness?

[[Kindness is loaning someone your strength instead of reminding them of their weakness]]

-gabrielle

PS. I am linking up with Andrea and Erika this week for Friday Favorites.

PPS. Did you miss my posts this week? Check them out here:

November Photo Journal

What's Up Wednesday

Happy Adoption Day