Deep down, I know that I am a child of God who has inherited

The teacher and spiritual leader Mary Manin Morrissey once gave voice to a truth that trembles within every human soul: “Deep down, I know that I am a child of God who has inherited divine capacities; some of them I strive to develop, others are left languishing. I also have a human side. I lose my temper, lose patience and sometimes judge others and myself.” In these words shines both humility and revelation, for she acknowledges the eternal tension between the divine and the human, between what we are called to be and what we often fall into being.

To declare oneself a child of God is to remember one’s origin — that beyond flesh, beyond weakness, there lies an inheritance of light. Within each person dwell divine capacities, seeds of compassion, creativity, love, wisdom, and courage. Yet Morrissey admits the truth that not all these seeds are cultivated. Some flourish through effort, while others remain languishing, unattended, waiting for the day when the soil of the soul will welcome their growth. In this admission, she names the universal struggle of humankind: we are greater than we live, but weaker than we desire.

Yet Morrissey does not cloak herself in false sanctity. She declares openly her human side. She speaks of temper, of impatience, of judgment — flaws that bind her to the rest of humanity. In this, her teaching becomes all the more powerful, for she reminds us that holiness does not erase humanness. Even those who strive toward the divine stumble along the way. The greatness of a soul lies not in being free of faults, but in recognizing them, confessing them, and continuing onward with renewed strength.

History echoes with this pattern. Consider Moses, who stood as prophet and leader, chosen to carry the people of Israel from bondage to promise. He spoke with God, worked wonders, and bore the mantle of the divine. Yet even he, in his humanity, lost his temper, striking the rock in anger rather than in obedience. His greatness was not destroyed by this failure, for he was still God’s servant. His story reveals that even those of divine calling carry a human side. The eternal lesson: the divine and the human walk together within us all.

Morrissey’s words also reveal the necessity of patience with oneself. Too often, we expect our divine capacities to bloom without struggle, forgetting that growth is slow, and that even failures can be teachers. To lose patience, to judge oneself harshly, is to choke the growth that patience would have nurtured. Likewise, to judge others is to forget that they, too, are children of God, struggling to bring forth their divine inheritance from beneath the weight of human frailty. Compassion for self and others becomes the bridge between divine aspiration and human imperfection.

The lesson, then, is one of balance. Recognize your divine capacities and strive to develop them — cultivate kindness, practice forgiveness, nurture creativity, embrace love. But also accept your human side without despair. When temper rises, when impatience burns, when judgment poisons the heart, do not let shame destroy you. Instead, acknowledge, repent, and rise again. For every saint has stumbled, and every stumbling soul has the chance to rise into sanctity.

Therefore, O children of the eternal way, let Morrissey’s wisdom be your guide. Remember always: you are a child of God, bearing treasures within you greater than you yet know. Some treasures will grow with effort, others will wait, but none are lost. Accept your human weakness without surrendering to it. Be patient, be compassionate, and continue to walk the path. For the divine is not found in being flawless, but in rising, again and again, until your divine inheritance shines forth in all its glory.