Where the grace of God takes root, hearts are never the same. Don Richardson, author of Peace Child happens to be my landlord. Fifty years ago he and his family moved to a remote village in Indonesia to share the love of Christ with those who had never heard. This past summer they returned to see with their own eyes what grace roots look like.
This video, tells the amazing story.
Never the Same from Pioneers-USA on Vimeo.
A letter to me 25 years ago, from me. Inspired by the new book Graceful
by Emily P. Freeman.
Hey girlfriend.
How are you doing? It is me, or rather you in 25 years. Just think Back to the Future and we will be fine. I’m writing you this letter because I am reading a book that I think you would love. It is written by a girl who is an awful lot like us. In fact, she grew up in Columbus. But the good news is she moved away before she went to East High School, so it is totally okay for us to like her. She has a lovely way with words and I know they would speak right to your heart.
The name of the book is called Graceful and it is all about letting go of your try hard life. Don’t you just love the title? Wouldn’t it be awesome if people said that about you and me? Instead, they say things like…
good girl
smart girl
nice girl
church girl
And we spend a whole lot of time trying to live up to what they think and say. The truth is, I know you are tired of trying to be the person they think you are. Since rebellion is not really your thing, you keep doing what is expected.
So back to my friend Emily. In her book she says, “The energy it takes to live for you is killing me—to see me through your eyes, to search for myself in your face, to be sure you are pleased with me. I want you to always be pleased with me,” (Graceful, pg 20). See, I told you she was a lot like us!
What about God? How does He want us to live? Listen to how Emily puts it:
“There is a different way to to live, a way that is full of grace and mystery, a way that cannot be outlined or studied for or figured out. Life isn’t about trying hard to be good, it’s about trusting God to be graceful in us,” (Graceful, pg 13).
Girl, you are graceful. God says so.
You are “specially marked by God’s divine grace,” (Graceful, p14).
Can you wrap your home-permed head around that fact? You are specially marked by God with grace. He sees you and He whispers…Graceful. Amazing, right?
Check this out. I found this verse in Ephesians 2:8,9:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And it is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” (ESV).
See, since you can’t read all of Emily’s words, you will have to go straight to her source. God tells us that we were saved by grace. And we move on from there. You don’t work toward grace. You move from it. You are grace(ful) from the beginning of your relationship with Him. And the sooner you believe that, the easier life will be for the both of us. This is the game changer for all of us good girls. You can’t get more graceful than you already are.
So, let it go of the fear of failure that dominates your life. Forget trying to please everyone and be all they think you are. Instead, lean heavy, into the arms of God who has marked you with grace and calls you His own. The One who calls you Graceful is ready to wrap you up in nothing but love.
And breathe deep all that is Graceful.
LYLAS,
Me
To get your copy of Graceful: Letting go of the Try Hard Life, click here.
***I’d love to give away a copy of this wonderful book. Tell me what you think of when you read the word Graceful…
I’ll choose a winner from the comments left below. Winner will be posted Friday.
(I was given a copy of Graceful for the purpose of review. The fact that I love it is because I’m a huge fan of Emily’s and a good girl in search of daily reminders of who God says I am.)
{Want to write a letter to your teenage self? Link it up with Emily over at Chatting at the Sky on Friday. Details are right here.}
Last January I began a journey to walk purposefully in grace for an entire year. As 2011 draws to a close, I hardly know how to wrap up my thoughts on the matter. It isn’t because I don’t have any, because I do. My head and heart are swimming with more than I can possibly express. I’d love to take this gift of grace, put a big red bow on it and say, “Here is my big take away.” But, I’m afraid I can’t.
You see, at the end of nearly 12 months of trying to define it, I find it too overwhelming to speak. Just when I think I can say what it is…He pours out more. And my words suddenly seem small and vanilla. The truth is grace leads to more grace.
The one response I can give you is gratitude. Oh, and by the way, that is grace, too. Our pastor said recently, “In the Bible when the word Charis is used as coming from God – it is translated Grace. When it is used as coming from us – it is translated Gratitude.”
See, grace leads to more grace.
Maybe in the days ahead, my notes on grace will work themselves into a well written therefore. In the mean time, know this: If grace invites you on a journey, say yes. I’m so glad I did.
{Thank you for chasing grace with me in 2011.}
(linking up with Chatting at the Sky today for “Tuesdays Unwrapped”
and with Grit and Glory for the “One Word” Wrap Up.)
Wherever you are is always the right place. There is never a need to fix anything, to hitch up the bootstraps of the soul and start at some higher place. Start right where you are.
Julie Cameron, The Right to Write, page 5
What happens when you start right where you are? When you resist the urge to fix it or go someplace higher? When you close your eyes to truly see and listen to your life for the first time in days?
You make music. Your life sings. And if you share it with others, they may join you in the song.
:::
How can you start where you are right now? Are you trying, trying, trying to fix what is broken? I’m learning slowly that is not our job. I’m so grateful He meets me in the middle of my broken places and pours out grace upon grace. That is why He came you know.
John 1:16
And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (ESV)
Joy is the wife to a missionary pilot and they, along with their five kids, live in Indonesia. She is anundeserving recipient of amazing grace, and grateful daughter of God. Joy’s heart is to encourage women to revel in their job as mommy and wife, and to see it as good and needed work. She shares her heart and life of being a mom with readers at her site, Grace Full Mama.
Grace. It was a word for “those” sinners.
I was a first-born pastor’s daughter. I felt I had to be perfect. All eyes were on me. I sang beautiful songs about grace, but it never got down to the heart level.
I figured that if I looked perfect, spoke spiritually, and plain ol’ never let anyone get to know me, I’d be all right. After all, I was saved, right?! Now I needed to work out my salvation with fear and trembling. I’ve always been an excellent rule keeper, and I thought grace was for ”those people” that lived by no rules at all.
It wasn’t until I realized that I was just as vile a sinner as the rapist, the thug, the drug dealer that grace got a hold of me. I realized that I was as full of sin as they were, maybe even more.
My big sin wasn’t the flashy kind. It was a more insidious one that looks good but burns hot and deep in a soul.
Mine was pride.
I am the older brother in the prodigal story. And my grace story doesn’t begin all that long ago…..
Six years ago we were preparing to move our family overseas to Indonesia, to serve as missionaries. My younger sister was going through some turmoil in her life and became the quintessential prodigal. In fact, the week we were leaving for Indonesia she ran away and got into some ugly, ugly stuff.
And I was mad. I was mad at her for bringing so much pain to our family, for making us look bad. And you know what else? I was mad at her for “stealing the show”! I wanted to be noticed! Here I was leaving for the mission field. I was the model daughter, and here she was getting all of the attention! Ugly pride.
A few hours before we left for the airport she came back to say goodbye, and I wanted nothing to do with her. I was mad and self-righteous.
And in that mess of a moment, my dad showed me the most beautiful picture of grace I have ever seen. My sister had put him through so much for many years, ruined his reputation, caused him more stress and pain that I can ever know. And he sat down next to her, in the midst of the filth, knowing what she had been doing, and put his arms around her and told her how much he loved her.
A picture of our Father reaching down in the mess, whatever it may be, and putting His arm around us and speaking words of love into our ear. When I came to the realization that my sin was just as horrible as the more public ones and that the Father loved me in the midst of my sinful mess, it was then truly understood grace.
And now, I reach out for that grace every single day.
Grace. A word for me. A sinner.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
I met Joy during a blog hop when she was writing as The Stay at Home Missionary. I loved her warm words and her heart for her family. At the end of last year, she made a decision to step away from blogging for a bit, and (gratefully) she re-emerged this fall as the Grace Full Mama. I subscribed to her new blog the day it launched. Imagine my own joy when I had a chance to meet and hug her in real life at the Relevant Blogging Conference. What I love about Joy is that what you see online is what you get in person. She is precious. I am grateful she has added her story of grace for us at 29lincolnavenue. I’m still crying over it. Please visit and subscribe to her blog, if you haven’t done so already. Thank you sweet Joy for this gift of grace today! Merry Christmas friend!
I pull on the red coat, white scarf, pick up microphone number 4 and walk through the black curtain. The familiar tune of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” begins to play and I sing a few measures on my own. As the 300 voice choir takes over the melody and the spotlight dims I see snowflakes begin to fly. In the darkness it sparkles and hangs like magic in the air. I pause, wishing I could stay in this place a few minutes longer. Instead, I tuck the memory safe in my heart, and think about it later, after the red coat has been put away and I’m driving home.
Sometimes Grace is Like Rain. It pours down and washes over us because we need it to. Other times, it is like quiet, magical snowflakes falling slowly and dancing before our eyes. It is a sweetness that whispers to our hearts. We realize in our crazy, tired, worn out lives, grace shows up in unexpected ways. Even in a year where I have been chasing hard after grace, He still knows how to surprise me. This may be my favorite kind. So, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
****
How has grace shown up in unexpected ways in your life?
Grateful to be joining Emily at Tuesdays Unwrapped today.
{for a little more of my grace journey, you can click the button below}
Hi, I'm Stacey, Mike's wife and the mother of 4 vibrant girls. I love God's Word, my family, blogging and more coffee than I should. I'm so glad you stopped by! [Read More…]
