Boldly Pursuing Grace

Words have a way of filtering through our day, floating through our mouths often without thought. Yet the Word of God tells us something that pounds deep in my memory, echoes bouncing acoustic timbres in my head.

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things: … for every idle(inoperative and non-working)word that we speak, we shall give account. -Matthew 12:35-36

I cringe when I hear this resounding play of letters and vowels, at times, because in reality I won’t be able to stand.  For a woman who loves words, my words don’t always represent love.

And why? I know the Truth. I have met love full on in the face sprinkled with hope and hedged in by grace.   Miracle moments dusted by the presence of His Holy wonder cause me to pause and consider the gift they truly are. This revisiting is necessary, it is purpose-filled; it draws us back to the place where hearts are touched by the master potter and rebuilt to emulate the promise.

{Why is it so hard to live this grace thing fully?}

Because we try in vain to do it on our own and fail to see that without consistent intention to live near the heart of the Father, this love thing.. this faith thing.. this bold grace thing… it is a mountain that we can’t scale alone.

We are not equipped to tackle the climbing the hills that rise out of our valleys. Why do we think that when we have traversed a valley that somehow we can ascend the hill of contention without the armor of God as our clothing of choice?

Each step we take, in our quiet valleys, calm pathways, or elevated journeys towards grace, will require the conscious effort of intentional relationship with the Father. Mission-minded and sacrificially-focused living are the words that keep coming to mind; living abandoned in radical faith.

Not the crazy, jump out of your skin theatrics, …that is not what I mean by radical faith. I am talking about living the love-life, talking the love-talk, walking the love-walk.   I am also suggesting that my faith should not be shoved down the throat of every bystander that I see, but rather this quiet genuineness that draws people in.  The voice that booms loudest doesn’t always amplify the message best. The strongest voice is sometimes the quiet one.

Boldness in quiet reverence thunders loudly in the listening soul.  Like a hush that descends when the Spirit of God fills up the empty space, or like the soft gentle wind which blows discreetly by, almost unnoticed, except by the listener. And friends, I want to be attentive to that blowing breeze.

The wonder of grace seeds plant hope in the actions that follow.

Here in that place of awe-wonder my heart finds peace for the miles which the traveling accrued. If I stay here, those soft gentle moments become the seeds of my words and my actions, always laced with grace. And if I take my eyes off the spectacle of mercy, then I am casting vision in every location but the one my eyes were meant to see. Here is where I let the flesh take over, unfortunately the spirit is willing but the body is weak.

Mistakes tend to clutter the traveling, if I let them.  The unspoken hurts that we hold onto often trip us up. We try to cast them aside, or sweep them in a pile while putting on our saintly robes of indifference and disproportionate favor, but they come back to splatter us with the impurities that boil in the stirring.

You know that watched pot that was left on the stove to heat, when it runs over,  it leaves a mess behind that is hard to clean up. So do our words symbolize the mess that remains when they bubble out of our brokenness.

But then grace comes, again, and I see as I ought.

After some elbow grease, and a lot of humility, I am once again shaking off yet another layer of the humanity that I have chosen to cling to, and I wonder about His patience with this woman I am. I ask Him, yet again, when I will meet the trial without unbelief clogging my faculties? When will this walk-of-faith look like I am walking to Him?

But you see THAT is exactly what this grace thing is about. When we choose to start seeing people with the favor and mercy that He extends our way, then we actually will and our words will follow.

Walking in His favor means I will be able to cast light on the journey ahead. 

• Because really, I can only shine the light that He sets in me.
• Because He is limitless, there is no limit to our ability to take hold of the blessings He offers.
• Because the gifts are meant to be given not kept.

The gifts that grace defines within our lives, because of God’s undeserved favor… we are supposed to give them away.

                “ He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep

to gain what he cannot lose.”

– Jim Elliot

These words catch me close with their the depth.  The fool is the one who holds tight to the blessing of God because he is afraid of losing it. The reality is, the blessings are a byproduct of this bold grace thing that seems to rest like a mist with persistent time in His presence.

We can’t out-give this generous Abba who desires to meet our needs. He actually runs out to clothe and decorate us with all that is His.(remember the Prodigal Son?) Here, friends.. here in the quiet moment when we recognize the power of the gift we need to yield to it. As we receive it with earnestness,we allow it to be written on our souls; a tattoo that speaks everything  words could never reveal.

In this place, my words become operative. Here, when I have melted into the embrace of the Holy One, ready to be branded by the fire that purges and restores life. Here is where my account is founded, because grace draws me nearer to the heart of the Father equipping me to deposit words that bring life.

Will you come with me as I explore the power of grace? The invitation is coming soon, to join me at the Table of Grace. I’d love to have you join me.

May  all your journeys be full of His grace,

In a few weeks, the invitation I have been waiting to extend will be announced!

 I wish I could have a seat here at my actual table, water stains and all,  to link hands and hearts together. We will be gathering together at this Table of Grace.  It is a place to visit truth and ponder grace in a real and tender way. I have some special friends who are willing to meet me here to talk and I’d so love it if you will join us.

I can’t wait to have you join me at the Table of Grace, because there is always room at the table for grace.

Linking up with these precious hearts:

SDG Gathering, MADM, #TellHisStory, CoffeeforYourHeart, Three Word Wednesday, Wednesday Prayer Girls,Winsdome Wednesdays, Word Filled Wednesday,  What You Wish Wednesdays, A little R&R Wednesdays