Grace
“Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way of life.”
Jackie Windspear
“By ‘guts’ I mean, grace under pressure.” Earnest Hemminway
“Grace is available for each of us every day—our spiritual daily bread—but we’ve got to remember to ask for it with a grateful heart and not worry about whether there will be enough for tomorrow.”
Sara Ban Breathnach
Grace means many things to many people. To me, it means trusting that God is always present. In any instant, I can reach out my hand and know for certain that God will take it and go with me through my day. God will not do for me what I can do for myself, but God will be with me in both my struggles and my triumphs and all the mundane moments in between. Grace is assurance of God’s presence.
We had a little prayer that we chanted before a meal when I was growing up. ‘Heavenly Father, accept our thanks for these and all thy many blessings.’ My father usually said it—perfunctory, covered the necessities, but hardly inspired. When my own children were growing up, my younger son, Ian, would say longwinded, albeit heartfelt, prayers that usually ended with his brother, Jake, yelling ‘amen’ before the food got cold. Nowadays, I eat most meals alone. I say a silent thank you for all the hands that went into growing, and picking and transporting the food I eat, knowing the hard work that goes into it. It is by their grace that I enjoy each meal.
Grace has gotten me through many difficulties—from auto accidents, to divorce, to depression, to loss of family. I appreciate the presence of friends and loved ones more than I used to. They are there by grace as well. I sincerely hope that you are aware of the grace that fills your life today. ‘Bidden or not, God is always present.’
Namaste,
Jane
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