Jesus. For a second I pictured him beside me. Just sitting. No judgement and no shame. In a season where so many of my efforts are perceived failures, shame rams it’s head at me often. When I feel ashamed for the season I’m in, ashamed of sadness, ashamed of the change I’m not seeing, ashamed of what I can’t do. Shame.

In this time I am also confronted with the name of Jesus. Emmanuel. God with us. But, like a stubborn teenage I often scoff and think “but how does that apply to ME – right now?!” How can I believe that Jesus would choose to live within me; Meredith full of shame? Why would he invite me to his table?

But his love is on display – he calls me, instead, Meredith, full of grace. I am with you. He just sits beside me. Simple as that. No judgement and no shame. Because shame is something he is familiar with – born in a barn. Wrapped in the frailty of human flesh then stripped of even that comfort as he was whipped, skin pulled from his back, spit at, mocked and ridiculed. “I know shame, Meredith. I carried it. I beat it. I won.”

He sits beside me. A simple, powerful gift of grace. Just sitting. No judgement. No shame.