Grace really is amazing

Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash

Grace.  Just the word brings up a comforting feeling of being loved unconditionally.  I find it easy to extend grace but it is a little harder to have to be on the receiving end.
As in....
Messing up.
Being cranky.
Feeling out of sorts.
Being misunderstood.
Forgetting something.
Being irritable with the kids.

All of us, as together as we might appear, stand in need of grace.

This has been a tough season of our life and it seems like it stretches on.  Maybe it is being 54 and having gone through cancer.  Maybe it is because the chemo left some lasting side effects.  Maybe it is because we have nine kids and the seasons may never really be "easy". But, for whatever reason, I find myself in need of grace.

I recently was asked to get a few moms together to talk about parenting.  I listened to those sweet young mamas tell about their experiences with their kids.  They were asking for grace.  They wanted to know that things would be OK and that so far, their parenting had not ruined anyone.  Oh little mamas, I'm with ya.  I'm sort of like those in the medical field who take a vow "to do no harm".  I don't want to harm.

But, because of hormones, life's stresses, and people in general, I might accidentally harm someone.  I can assure you, it would not be my intent.  Friends, oh how I DON"T want to cause anyone harm! But, I might anyway. Oh I would never cause physical harm to my child but..
a harsh word?
I'm not above it.
A critical spirit?
Guilty.

I wonder, though, when we  accidentally sound a little "edgy"....could we simply overlook it? Just pretend we didn't notice.  Could we simply not take offence when we don't get invited to the baby shower?   How about we love anyway when someone purposely or accidentally insults us.  Is it so hard to just let the driver over into your lane?  Or let the family with one item hop in front of you at the grocery store?  Or hug the crying 5 year old instead of scolding them? Could we pinkie promise to just ...extend grace.

Practicing extending grace to others gives me hope that the grace will be there for me when I'm the one standing in need of it.  Oh it will be a hard fall for those who think they are above needing it.  The self made pedestals have a way of tumbling down in unexpected ways. Nice when there is someone to throw down a pillow to lesson the blow.  Real nice.

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash

Oh believe me friends, when you bring children from hard places into your home, there is a need to extend grace.  Thank God, they have been willing to offer it freely to me!!  Ahhh....and on occasion, I might have the opportunity to generously give a cup of grace to them
.





Loving someone really means that grace will be in the mix of things.  We are all imperfect and if we recognize that from the start then we are more likely to offer that helping hand as someone is sliding down the hill of despair.  We will be more likely to not notice an offence rather than shine a flashlight on it. We will be able to offer grace.  Grace. Even when the struggle is self-infIicted. I'm not sure there is a more beautiful expression of love.  It is easy to love someone when they are....well, lovable.  Oh but to love someone even in the midst of ugly?  Now, that is true love.

Every wound healed.  Every child, a home.