Grace is a word that has been with me my entire life. When I was a young girl attending Catholic school, I loved the hymn
Amazing Grace. While I didn't understand the meaning of the words, I loved to sing the hymn.
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
These are the verses I remember when I was a grade school student, and as I grew, the subsequent verses in the song became more relevant and meaningful.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
With life experiences, I began to realize that God's grace truly is amazing. He offers it to us new each day and expects nothing in return. It is a precious gift.
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
I walked though early adult trials. I faced the challenges of being a single mom of two young boys with a new career that required demanding travel and long hours when my first marriage fell apart. Most nights I would fall into bed so exhausted from a full day, and I would cry myself to sleep praying to God to give me the strength to make it through another day. Often I would ask God why I had to walk through that valley. What did I do to deserve those circumstances? It was in those dark hours that I clung to Him. He was the life boat that allowed me to get through each day- one day at a time. He became my shield and portion and now that I have walked through that valley I am thankful for the experience as it forced me to trust in Him.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
As my faith continued to strengthen though my life journey, these verses became clearer. I lost my beloved grandmother, but I knew we would one day meet again. I knew she was dancing in heaven and I was at peace knowing where she was.
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun
I am so thankful that I can freely sing God's praise and share it with my husband, friends, co-workers and three boys!
I have learned to give grace to others and most importantly to myself. God has been placing this blog on my heart for awhile and I keep finding excuses to not start it: I'm too busy, it will take too much time, I will share too much information. As a private person by nature the most daunting part is opening myself up to others. But, I have also learned that when God asks something off you it's for a reason. No one may ever read this but I know I'm doing what I've been called to do!
I am by no means perfect and I do not have all of the answers.I am a work in progress as are we all. I am simply a child of God learning as I go. My intent is to share life lessons I have learned, life lessons I am in the progress of learning and ones I hope to learn.
So, thank you for visiting.
What is your word? We all have one but we may not know we have one. What word speaks to you?
I would love to know.
Grace and peace,
Misty
Beautifully written Misty. When God calls us we should listen. I can't wait to see His plan for you unfold in this blog. My word is Exhaustion. But it is awesome if not trying. Most days I feel like my children are attached to each appendage pulling me like Stretch Armstrong. 😳. Add my loving husband and our zoo of animals and my plate is full. So many directions to travel. So many prayers to pray. So many chores to do. So many words to digest. So many lessons to teach. So many hugs and kisses to give. So many errands to run. The list goes on. You're a Mom. You get it. And... I AM BLESSED. So I'll take my word ( for now - it's just a phase of my life) and my tired self and lay my head down on the large pillow on our couch. It has a simple message printed on it that could have come from Him Himself... It reads " Love You More ". Thank you for sharing your Grace. What wonderful words to read after an exhausting day 😊.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen for sharing your word, I completely get it. I too am exhausted at the end (and in the beginning and in the middle) of each day. Life with kids is so very tiring. Then when you add a couple of teens to the mix (as we both have) you tend to worry more as the consequences of their choices are greater. It's easy to get lost in the ins and outs of daily living. When I find myself wondering if I've done enough for my family I go back to my word of grace and I tell myself, "His grace is sufficient." What I lack he picks up. He makes up for the rest. Thanks for sharing your word my friend!
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