Word for this year . . .

I have been reading lots of blog posts about people choosing the "Word for the year".  At first I wanted to choose one and then I hurt my brain trying to come up with one.  I wanted it to be special, meaningful and forcing it wasn't working.  It wasn't magical.  It was work and I didn't want to do it that way.  I decided if I was going to choose a word it had to choose me.

It did today.

grace 

I am not speaking of grace in the sense of being graceful.  I am by no means graceful, I mean, I broke my leg in three places on a blow up carnival game for goodness sakes!  I could definitely use some grace in that department, but that is not what is talking to me at the moment. 

Grace has been defined as "the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it, the benevolence shown by God toward the human race . It is  a spontaneous gift from God to man - generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved that takes the form of divine favor, love and clemency.

Boy, I am who I am because of the grace the creator has given to me.  I need to make certain that I am showing grace daily to those around me, those living in my home, those in my circle of friends and probably most importantly to myself.  I will focus this year on pouring that grace into the lives of those around me and myself.

What will that look like?  I am certain that will evolve as I do.  I am thinking right now, that will take on the face of patience.  I will learn to be still and wait.  I think it will also start with giving others the benefit of the doubt.  That is what grace looks like right now, the future . . . it will be a journey that I am happy to take.  


Knowledge is but folly unless it is guided by grace.  - George Herbert



Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.       -Martin Luther
 

But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people, and do our best to help them find their own grace. That's what I strive to do, that's what I pray to do every day.      - Barack Obama
 

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.      - Anne Lamott


And you know, when you've experienced grace and you feel like you've been forgiven, you're a lot more forgiving of other people. You're a lot more gracious to others.     - Rick Warren
 

Grace in women has more effect than beauty.     -William Hazlitt

Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.    - William Hazlitt

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

So here's to the year of grace. . .