Gift of Grace

THINK

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (John 1:16)

Grace. What is it, really? Do we know what it is and how it moves in our lives? We should.

noun \ˈgrās\

a  :  unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification b  :  a virtue coming from God c  :  a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace 

Have you ever purchased, wrapped, and given what you thought was the perfect gift? You eagerly await the moment when the intended recipient will open it and you are just a little giddy at how happy you know they'll be. Then, the big day arrives; and it's opened and cast aside with a pile of other gifts, nothing special noted, nothing special done with it.

You are crestfallen.

I wonder if that's how God feels about grace. He gives it freely to us--all we have to do is open the gift. Upon opening, if we are are willing to cooperate in His big gift-giving, we are suffused with Divine Assistance. I like the word "suffused." It's as if grace is light or golden liquid that fills every crevice of our being. We should dance for joy.

But lots of times we don't.

Instead, we worry. We worry that we don't deserve the gift given--that we're not good enough. But grace is undeserved! It's a gift; it's not a prize. Similarly, we worry that there won't be enough, that we can't earn enough favor with God to get our fill. We think we can't be good long enough or consistently enough to fill our tanks with grace every moment of every day. We have a scarcity mentality about grace, as if god were a stingy giver.

But that's not how grace works. 

He keeps giving it. Just ask.

And then, don't put it on shelf with the gifts too precious to use every day. 

Enjoy grace. 

Really. It's OK. You're allowed to inhale God's grace with every breath you take and you're allowed--no, encouraged--to actually enjoy it. Life isn't a drudgery of striving to merit God's abundant love. Life is a gift to be lived in the grace that overflows from the fullness of that love. 

PRAY

God, please grant me the grace to know your grace and to enjoy it with all my heart, mind, body, and soul. 

ACT

Just for today, make a list of all the times you notice grace in your life. Watch for it, welcome it, and enjoy it. 

Share your grace moments here, with us?

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If #morningrun blesses you, please share the image so that others can find us here?

Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.

I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.