GRACE…WHAT is it REALLY?

GRACE…what IS it REALLY?

Last week as I was writing our weekly post, I was thinking about any self doubt that might be holding up the best possible version of myself. I KNEW without a doubt that self LOVE holds a key to my own ability to make decisions in my human life through the lens of LOVE. But, I also knew there was something to hold that love high up in my mind…GRACE. 

But, I got to thinking about my definition of GRACE? How did I come by my thoughts? I chose the picture I did because the hands were holding LIGHT, which for me is a “critical” part of the LOVE of God.  I was the one that typed the words With Grace in the LIGHT!  I knew my ability to LOVE without judgement needed Grace threaded through the LOVE and LIGHT to keep it happening in my very human life. But, when I began to try to define the word grace…I found it hard to put into words!   How do you define GRACE?

Before I write my ideas threaded with other experts, it is probably wise for ALL of us to realize that there is no right or wrong here…simply words we use and our meaning might be very different from person to person using that same word!  But, my hope is that this discussion gives all of us a chance to reflect and might even HELP us “feel” as much of the GRACE from God possible, by putting our thoughts into place.

Marj has always loved the writing of a theologian and Presbyterian Minister, Fredrick Buechner who wrote 39 books! He graduated from Princeton and had a long and amazing career.   One of his books in particular was called Wishful Thinking: A theological ABC. He wrote this back in 1973. He lived an amazing life and went on to the Everlife in  2022. But Buechner’s writing has often been praised for its ability to inspire readers to see the grace in their daily lives as described by the New York Times. So…it was a great place for us to look, remembering that he had great writing about Grace.

“After centuries of handling and mishandling, most religious words have become so shopworn nobody’s much interested any more.  Not so with grace, for some reason.  Mysteriously, even derivatives like gracious and graceful still have some of the bloom left.” ~Fredrick Buechner

Here are many of his statements that he uses throughout this book. So many of his statements simply describe how I think about grace! As you will read, one of those important concepts that he describes as I would in my own description was when he states that “Like any gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you’ll reach out and take it.” 

• GRACE  is something you can never get, but only be given. There is no way to earn it or deserve it or bring it about any more than you can deserve the taste of raspberries and cream or earn good looks or bring about your own birth.
• A good sleep is grace and so are good dreams.  Somebody loving you is grace.  Loving someone is grace.  Have you ever tried to love somebody?
•  A crucial eccentricity of the Christian faith is the assertion that people are saved by grace. There is nothing you have to do.  There is nothing you have to do.
•  The grace of God means something like: Here is your life.  You might never have been, but you ARE because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you.  Here is the world.  Beautiful and terrible things will happen.  Don’t be afraid.  I am with you.  Nothing can ever separate us.  It’s for you I created the universe.  I love you.

There is something in the previous statement that TOTALLY sits in my soul feeling beautiful. We “ARE” because this world would not be complete without YOU! (And me) God tells us not to be afraid. “I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It’s for you I created the universe. I love you!”  YES, YES and YES again. When we can embrace this statement, we can embrace the love that is there because we ARE. That’s the same meaning as Just BE. These are concepts that my NDE helped me be able to embrace. And knowing that God’s LOVE is simply OURS is one of those!

Buechner goes on with the following statements which also resonates with me. I do believe we have to ACCEPT this gift.

• There ’s only one catch.  Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you’ll reach out and take it.
• Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.

So…I will always reach out and take this beautiful gift and cherish it in my heart and soul! I can’t earn it, I can only accept it…or not.