By the time I
leave this earth, I know I will have written well over 1,000 posts on Grace.
Seriously.
Dictionary.com
defines of Grace is as follows:
1.
elegance or
beauty of form, manner, motion, or action.
2.
a pleasing or
attractive quality or endowment
3.
favor or goodwill
4.
a manifestation
of favor, especially by a superior
5.
mercy; clemency;
pardon
When think of Dictionary.com I think of Urban
Dictionary. Here are few of their definitions (most of them had to do with a
girl names Grace…):
1. Grace
A admired
feminine forename.
1) The swan
glided over the lake gracefully.
2) Me: 'Grace is
the cutest girl ever, She makes my heart beat faster, she's so beautyful. If
you ever go out with her, you are one lucky guy...'
2. Grace
Beauty, sunrises,
singing birds, blossoming flowers. All those things that remind us why life is
worth living.
Heaven on earth.
A star to light your life.
3. Grace
A girl who is the
best of the best. Very artsy with an extreme amount of elegance, thus her name.
This entails beautiful face, voice, mind, body, soul, thoughts, and aptitude in
the arts. This girl is usually the best in everything. Thought to be a rare jewel,
she is one to be held on to. One should not be surprised if this is difficult
at least, for Grace is captivating to all around her.
I have no idea
why I wanted to look up the term “Grace” on Urbandictionary.com, but you know
what I found: nothing inappropriate! But more than that, all the definitions
were positive descriptions of the word (or, in most cases, the girl).
Personally, I
have not always seen Grace as something positive. For most of my life it was
actually a mystery. “My Grace is sufficient for you,” Jesus tells Paul in 2
Corinthians 12:9. But what does that mean, I wondered. God’s Grace is enough?
Is it enough to block the pain from experiences that hurt more than I like to
admit? Is it enough to give me what I need to go on and fulfill the commitments
that no longer seem worth it? Is it enough to help me not drag everyone around
me down even though I don’t have the strength to keep going? What is this
mysterious Grace, and can it be compacted into an all-in-one pill so that I can
take one dose and be set for life?
Well, I do not
have a straight-from-God’s-mouth definition for you. However, I do know what I
have come to understand it to be. As of this very moment, I have understood
Grace to be God Himself coming alongside me and saying, “Daughter, I see you
cannot do this on your own; allow me to walk with you through this, and when the
burden gets heavy, talk to me about and allow me be with you each step”.
This, in my
opinion, is a narrow definition of Grace because it is only being defined in
light of our burdens. What about when we sin? I believe what is extended to us
then is called mercy. What about when others wrong us or when they are seeking
out our help? I believe then we are called to extend mercy and Grace to others.
That does not meant that we should allow cruel people to cling to us and drag
us down; but I do believe it means we do not harbor unforgiveness or bitterness
in our hearts. And when it comes to those we are journeying through life with,
I have come to see Grace as that which is extended in love and without keeping
count of how many times it has been given.
So, that’s what I
have to say about Grace for now.
Grace is
beautiful and deep and an extension of Love itself :)
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