Sleeping with bread: Grace

Grace is a beautiful gift, if only we allow ourselves the space and time to receive it.

Too often grace is one of those gifts that we'd prefer not to use. It can be easier to plug away at life with our own abilities and plans as the center and think grace is something to be used only in case of emergency.

Honestly, I think the emergency is the fact that grace is treated as a minor benefit, is ignored until a disaster occurs, or become cheap in our nonchalant treatment of it.

In the words of the famous hymn " Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind but now I see." Do these lyrics really reflect how I live out grace in my life?

Grace has been on my mind a great deal this last week or so. In fact a few weeks ago, in the midst of a weary day and lots to do, I had to ask someone to give me some grace and some space to figure out what to do next. A funny thing happened when I asked for grace, the person didn't really like it. I did not have an immediate answer for them , I did not fix the situation on the spot, and asking for understanding and grace while I worked things out only showed what a shocking an unappreciated thing grace is. Grace requires people to stop, take a step back and try to live in another persons shoes - none of which are easy things to do when caught up in the pace of busy life. None the less though, grace is an amazing and need characteristic in daily life, and in the end helps the bumps in life not be quite so jarring.

Last week, I had another moment where I needed some grace, and I failed to stop and ask for it. I allowed the emotions of the moment to go into overdrive and cut the conversation short as to avoid a conflict. As soon as I stopped talking, I knew I should have asked for some grace. A few hours later, with the problem resolved, I did. The apology was gracefully accepted and I became more thankful for that relationship. Thankfully, my good friend extended the grace to me even though I forgot to ask for it. The grace given to me in that circumstance was a beautiful gift.

This weekend, I was heading to the grocery store and my great-nephew Eli asked if he could go with me. I told him to ask his mom, but I'd be happy to take him for a ride to the store. He rushed to put on some clean clothes, and scampered downstairs to ask his mom for permission.

"Mommy, can I please, please, please got to the store with Auntie Tara? I promise I will be a good boy forever, and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever!", he exclaimed as he jumped up and down with the greatest amount of sincerity and enthusiasm that a three year old can muster. We were all laughing at his plea to go to the store, but in his desire to do something fun and even in his promise to be a good boy forever, we all knew at one point or another in the next 24 hours we'd have to extend this toddler some grace. I buckled him into the car and we headed out the the store.

We shopped for grapes, rainbow jello, gummy snacks, and fixings for Greek salad. We went to McDonald's and I bought him a happy meal on the way home. We had a blast shopping together and simply being present as he asked me what all the vegetables were in the produce section. We had a great time, even in the reminders to sit down in the cart, hold my had in the parking lot, and remember to say please and thank you when you are given something. We lived in grace that evening at the store and what a gift it was!

Thank you G-d for the grace you give me everyday. Thank you for providing so much for me. Thank you for the days when I promise to be good forever and ever and instead I pull away a try to do life on my own. You know that two minutes from now you have to remind me to stay close to you and not pull away, but you love me and give me grace anyhow. Thank you G-d for the grace of this week and the ones to come today and help me to extend that same gift of grace to those around me.

Amazing grace how sweet the sound...

Grace is a beautiful gift, if only we allow ourselves the space and time to receive and give it.