There is a purpose in choosing the road of commitment. Most of us, by nature, would like to be able to always do what we say we are going to do…to follow through with the words we speak and the promises we make. This path is not for the faint of heart, though; it is sometimes just plain difficult. Mostly because we are imperfect and we live life with equally imperfect people.
I am guessing that most of us have probably had to change plans, go back on a promise, cancel a meeting, or forgotten something on the schedule. It can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, but we all do it. If we do it a lot or perhaps hurt someone’s feelings in the middle of it all, it can be hard on relationships. Then, the guilt monster throws a little brick in our baggage that we have packed ever so carefully for our well-planned journey. Of course we allow it to settle into place because we think it should be there, and maybe it makes us feel a little better about our own faults.
I tend to do this a little more easily with my kids than anyone else, unfortunately. We make plans, I change them…they are disappointed and I feel bad. It is a cycle we follow. It ruins the day, sometimes. And it can become a habit that forms if I am not careful…this lack of commitment to them and to do what I said I would do.
I know some of it may seem trivial, but often our inability to be committed to plans and living fully in this grace He has extended our way, sets us up for frustration and divided hearts.
Some days I flat out miss the memo on how to be a grace collector. And I question if I am really committed. Yet, grace meets me in these moments and reminds me that love covers a multitude of sins.
And above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8
Friends, I have to be honest and tell you that sometimes I have some mountains here, ones I have built out of guilt and longed for re-dos, that are sitting right in the middle of my path. They aren’t doing me any good, but standing in my way and keeping us from moving forward.
The thing is, when we layer the bricks in front of us… the ones where we are reading to ourselves over and over about those places where we miss grace, we begin to make them the stones we add to our mountains. We choose to attack the mountain and let it either conquer us by reminding us or we climb it and fail to learn the lessons we were supposed to glean. We end up carrying the stones in as our portion rather than waving banners of love over the multitude.
It has been well said that, “it is a great deal better to have the faith to move mountains than to have a corps of engineers to tunnel through them”. H C. Trumball
Through the years, I have let my lack-of-grace moments be another brick to the bag or stone on my mountains. I can easily pinpoint an area in my own life that is later exemplified in my children’s lives or relationships. The bags get heavy and the stones tend to add up.
We build moments and break one another’s hearts by actions and in-actions that rip at the careful stitching of these bags we carry proudly. And because things change we don’t always know how to extend grace because we are all just learning how to maneuver each day as it comes. It is easy to forget we are dealing with people when all we can think about is not being exposed. Our inability to stay close to that Calvary Road we promised to walk becomes a stone we polish and hold onto rather than look for grace in moment.
But grace is about choosing to look past the things that get under our skin.
Grace chooses to give favor when it is undeserved with building purposes.
Grace is something we can collect and plant like a seed that grows into abundance.
The truth is we all need to learn to count graces instead of the heavy dull bricks we carry. I am reminded of that yoke Christ tells us to exchange with him, you know the light one that is easier to carry. And I am becoming more and more convinced that His yoke is loaded down with grace.
What if we choose to speak to that mountain in faith? Jesus said we could. He said we could be mountain movers if we have faith the size of a mustard seed.
Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain. ‘Move from here to there.’ and it would move.” Matthew 17:20
What if we decided to collect grace in order to give it away?
The more I thought about this I wanted to ask you what grace looks like in the hard and difficult moments? Because the reality is, I made a commitment to count grace moments, and then God called me to lay them out here with you. To be honest, I realized that I have been adding some bricks and stones every now and then while I am trying to be diligent collecting graces.
And I was convicted by all the all too real moments revealed when we put on those grace glasses while sitting at the throne of grace. I don’t want to collect moments just to throw them in that pretty purse I stitched with care. That isn’t what moves mountains.
The grace moments I want to start collecting are the pieces I can give away. If people, my people and the ones He brings into my path, would see Christ in me, hear Him in my words, feel Him in my service… then they would see grace in action. We can bring down mountains and build up hope together when we collect grace together.
Starting right where you are, in your home or your immediate sphere of influence, is the best place to start. They are the ones who can testify of the power of mountain moving faith because they have a pretty good idea what those bricks we carry actually look like.
As each of you has received a gift, employ it for one another as good trustees of Gods’ many-sided grace. Whoever speaks, let him do it as one who utters the oracles of God; whoever renders service, let him do it as with the strength which God furnishes abundantly, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:10,11
What if we decided to be real and honest and transparent with the Lord in our prayer closets and just get rid of the mud and the clay and the trowels that we hold close so we can bake up the yuck and hold on to it in exchange for the grace of being committed to Christ rather than our agendas and our faithless promises?
- I will never be the mom I want to be in my head, but I am committed to try and to work hard to love my kids well so they see, hear, feel and know Jesus.
- I won’t always say the right thing in every situation where people are concerned, but I am committed to spending time in His Word so that the what flows out of my heart is the good seed that is being deposited into it.
- My expectations will not always match His own for myself or for others, but the more time I put on grace like a mantle to cover others with, the easier it is to be transparent and real and to put down that unnecessary baggage that tends to get in the way.
Collecting grace moments is like moving mountains and planting seeds of faith so the journey is possible. Let’s lend grace to one another in an effort to lighten the load we have allowed ourselves to carry on the journey.
Your Turn to Share! What does it look like to collect the moments of grace that remove stones from mountains? Please share your thoughts in the comments section. I’d really love to read your thoughts!
GRACE MOMENTS LINK UP:
Each Wednesday evening I will share a post for the Grace Moments link up with a prompt for you to write about. Every Thursday there will be a linky here at Journeys in Grace for you to share your stories with me, to sit across the virtual Table of Grace here at Journeys in Grace and participate in community of friends that encourage, equip, love and pray for one another.
If you are a blogger, link up here with a post about finding grace moments in your life or one of your favorite inspiring and encouraging posts from this week. Share your thoughts in the comment section telling me about the #Grace Moments you experienced this week. *(only 1 post per link please)*
Take time to visit your neighbor next to you, and if you want visit a few more friends on the journey. We all need a little encouragement and affirmation as we travel together.
If you don’t have a blog, you can connect with me via my Journeys in Grace FB page by sharing a photo or a comment. Or you can join the party by sharing your images on Instagram with #Gracemoments hashtag.
Each week I will try visit as many of your amazing posts as I can and share some of my favorites on my FB page.
This is a safe place to sit and dwell in grace together, friends. I can’t wait to pour a cup of friendship with you and take in the grace moments you have to share.
To participate:
Please share the grace moments which have encouraged you in the comments section, I love to hear from you.
Link up your inspirational and encouraging post below, or share your blog post inspired by last week’s writing prompt.
Invite friends to join in by posting the Grace Moments badge on your post.
Copy and paste the permalink to your post.
Using the linky tool, enter your link.
Find someone (or two) in the link-up to encourage with a comment.
