Sometimes I hear a word and question its meaning.
What is grace?
Like grace.
Kindness, mercy, goodwill, favour. . .all words that speak of grace.
But what is it really?
Is it a way of being, an attitude, an experience?
The definition most appealing to me is from William Hazlitt,
“Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.”
This resonates, but still gives me no real access to grace.
Then I remembered a question I first read in Conversations with God,
What would love do now?
The answer to this question gives me direct access to grace.
It helps me let go, forgive. . .move on.
It displaces everything leaving only grace.
My Sunday offering – grace in the words of others:
Anne Lamott :: “I do not understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”
Some emotions and experiences move through us like weather. Others, like grace leaves its presence.
Brennan Manning :: “To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark.”
The light and the dark. Resisting the dark causes suffering, while accepting it opens the door to grace.
Mary Oliver :: “You can have the other words – chance, luck, coincidence, serendipity. I’ll take grace. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I’ll take it.”
Like Mary Oliver I’m not sure what it is, but I”ll take grace too. There’s a depth and a mystery to it that appeal to my soul.
Rumi :: “Give up to grace. The ocean takes care of each wave ’til it gets to shore. You need more help than you know.”
Give up, surrender, let. it. in.
Anne Lamott again :: “Sometimes grace works like water wings when you feel you are sinking.”
Water wings for the soul; a heart pleasing vision.
And my personal favourite,
Karl Barth :: “Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God.”
I want to know what it means for you, and leave you with the gift of these words.
What would love do?
One of my favorite words Sandi! From the Christian tradition, I love its meaning in that regard–God’s spontaneous gift to humanity–generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved . . . God’s unmerited favor.
Thanks Sandi for leading me to meditate on the richness of this word for a few moments.
Thanks Sean, I love that meaning “spontaneous gift to humanity”! Imagine living grace from there…
Grace has two meanings for me, and I never saw the connection before now.
My experience of grace is in asking for help with something at which I was failing, and I recognized I couldn’t do it on my own. I asked for help, and I got it. And doing this thing that seemed impossible became… easier. Because of the help I received. Help, as Sean says, was undeserved… or at least unearned.
I love the idea of grace as it relates to being graceful, and gracious. Somehow smooth and easy. And the connection I never saw before is how the thing I found difficult became easy. Thanks to the gift of grace, I became more graceful, more gracious.
Hmmm.
PS – I love that quote from Anne Lamott, “it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.” True. Thanks for sharing that!
It’s odd how this word came up for me recently as it’s a word I haven’t related to much in my life. And yet, as you said Susan, thanks to the gift of grace (isn’t hindsight great?) I realized it’s been present much more than I’d acknowledged.
Having recently tumbled down a hill, I’d like to now become more graceful!
Sandi, For me, Grace is the kiss of spirit on the soul.
That is beautiful Julie and speaks to me of the William Hazlitt quote above. Just lovely.
I just spent 5 days in a state of grace most of the time. And for me, grace is about being returned to my soul’s self and being seen and loved for that self. It’s a coming home to myself. And, yes it met me where I was and took me where I’ve never been before. And, yes, there was laughter — lots and lots of laughter.
I love the idea of “coming home to myself” Carol. Maybe that’s why I resonate with the question “What would love do now?” because when I come from love I am at home with my Self.
Exactly, Sandi! Love is Grace. Grace is love.
This is beautiful Sandi! I never thought of grace so much before! Beautifully written, as always!
Lori
I don’t often think of it either Lori, which is why it surprised me. And I’m glad it did.
There’s a reason some words draw us more than others – and I agree that this word is such a beautiful one that just sounds pretty and feels good! Lovely ruminations Sandi!
I think words come to us when we need them. Doesn’t hurt that it does feel good to though!
I’m not into the whole “merited/unmerited favour” conversation, I’m with you and Karl— “Laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God.” And I like Rumi’s, “Give up to grace. The ocean takes care of each wave ’til it gets to shore.” And for me “what would love do” gives me a huge access to grace.
I’m drawn to a lot but if there’s no access it doesn’t stick with me. Usually, it’s a question (like ‘What would love do?’) that opens the access and leads me in.