I am not always good at the art of letting go or waiting.

Many ‘things’ that once were necessary, over the course of my journey, have begun to mean so much less than I thought they once did. And I marvel at the importance I had placed upon them…trivial and temporal tokens that really didn’t matter in the end.

Hindsight is always so much clearer than our vision as we go. Of course we all know that. And in many circumstances we have the ability to truly learn from that, to discern the good from the bad and apply it forward as we sojourn on.

Grace does that for us.

It is the teaching moment that lends light upon the situation we have faced.

It is the ‘aha’ that escapes as we witness His providence even in our negligence.

 It is the stone we let go of and the hand we raise in reverence as we see His Way is always best.

#gracemoments… the more I look for them the more I see them… the more I see them the more I want to hold on to them.

 But that is not what grace is about, is it? A holding on so tightly to the blessings that we miss the most beautiful part of His grace over us…letting it flow over and through and around us so that it touches every single person we meet.

These moments of grace we look for, the ones that He showers over us daily are all about how we are going to let someone else be part of the blessings.

Maybe that is not new to you. I can’t say that this is revelatory, but instead, like a prism that bends and distorts the light so that we see the colors clearly I am looking at things from a different perspective lately.  Not because I want to, not because I have become more discerning…although, I confess that is changing… but mostly because it is my reality. Sometimes I feel like this prism, being bent and turned so that grace hits the angles of my life and allows me to see that beauty radiates through these trials and situations and moments when I let go and let God work. When I cease striving and learn to wait expectantly for His perfect will instead of my own.

“I  wait for the Lord, I expectantly wait, and in His Word do I hope.” Psalm 130:5

While you’re waiting God is working….

My screen has been bombarded with these 6 words lately. Like a continuous reel on auto-play, everywhere I look I am affronted by the message that waiting is perhaps the most altering part of our faith journey.   I must confess, patience is not a virtue that I excel in greatly. I wish this fruit grew better on the limbs of my soul, but I have probably impeded its growth more than I’d like to admit.  And so this I continue to travel the mountain of understanding more and more about His Way and not my own, and His grace is showing me the power of being a woman who waits with God is worthwhile…it is good, indeed.

“I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly pray: Thy Will Be Done.”- Elisabeth Eliot

I don’t believe in coincidence, so I am confident that the reminder is a lesson in obedience and faith that requires attendance.  Elisabeth Eliot wrote about obedience a  lot, and her life was one of constant sacrifice. She is quoted as saying, “Don’t pursue joy with all your might…pursue obedience with all your might.” And this obedience thing is what is challenging me to look a little closer at the idea of being radically broken in Christ.  It is the act of letting go, the artistry of dying to this world and living for Christ that she was speaking of… of choosing His Will no matter what.  And I am finding the laces I was holding tightly to, wound around my shell are being untied and loosened so that I can breathe out the prayer of contrition and the sacrifice of self for more of Him.If God is working things out, like Paul said in Romans 8:28, for my good and His glory, then waiting can be a time of expectancy and hope. I am still thinking about the way that works…about the role that waiting plays in our faith journey. But I am learning to lean into the art of surrender and the grace of breaking apart in the safe and secure arms of Jesus as He gently guides each and every step I take. And while I don’t know the details, and I suspect that the way will be narrow and difficult, I know that the end result will be good…because He said so.

And ultimately, looking for grace in every moment allows me to see His mercy and obey His will.

Where are you finding grace as you wait expectantly today?

 

IT’S YOUR TURN TO BE A GRACE COUNTER!  SHARE YOUR GRACE MOMENT IN THE COMMENTS BELOW AND THEN COUNT GRACE WITH A FRIEND WITH COMMENT ON A BLOG OR TWO.

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.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. Don’t forget to leave a comment below, I love to hear from you.

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