Extra Grace Required

Lydia Browback posted recently on women who are “EGR” — Extra Grace Required:

“One category of “widows and orphans” that’s easy to overlook is the socially poor. In one of my former circles, we referred to them as EGRs—extra grace required.

I look back on that now and cringe. What made us think that we weren’t EGRs ourselves? The very fact of the cross proves that we are. But what we had in mind when we used the term are those who make others uncomfortable by their lack of the social niceties–those who can’t talk about anything other than themselves, those who complain constantly about their problems but refuse to take the advice they so often ask for, and those who make a mess of their lives but blame it all on someone else.

We all know such people (maybe you and I are among them), and they are among those whom God calls needy. They are typically very lonely people because sooner or later they alienate everyone around them.“

I added the emphasis in the last line because MAN! She nailed me on that one–I’ve been thinking a lot this week about women who do exactly that–alienate everyone around them–and who are, in fact, very lonely.

I encourage you to check it out.