When life just hurts…
Grace…
How are you doing with Grace?
Do you sink into it and allow it to sustain you? Are you soaking in the Grace lavished on us by God?
When life hurts, threatens to overwhelm you, when pain in all its variety presses in on you… Do you allow Grace to be more Persistent than pain?
These words from Wes Roberts, one of my mentors, reminded me I have options for dealing with pain.
We can push through pain by leaning into Grace.
Pain has many faces…
Physical pain: excruciating to annoying…from the stabbing pain caused by injury to the ravages of time on our bodies.
Emotional Pain: wounds from our story, past abuse to unkind words spoken by a loved one…from searing our soul to the paper cuts that hurt as they get repeatedly banged or dinged in the dailies of life.
Relationship pain: raw unfettered loneliness to tension filled or mediocre connections with our loved ones…from anguish to uncertainty and insecurity.
Mental pain: debilitating depression, fear or anxiety to racing thoughts and irrational roadblocks… from paralysis, scrambling or hiding to pretending all is well.
Spiritual pain: abandoned, unwanted to confused or seeking…from panicked and feeling life is pointless to alone and vulnerable
Pain drives a stake into possibility and ravages hope. Pain stops us cold, makes us bitter, and threatens to be relentless and destructive.
but Grace…
Grace changes everything!
Grace delves deep; reveals treatments, beckons our broken bodies to rest and recover, as well as gives strength to carry on.
Grace desires us, longs for relationship and communion, and reveals Love as a constant companion.
Grace enfolds our battered hearts to comfort, soothe, and bind our wounds.
Grace breathes freshness to clear the cobwebs in our mind and whispers, “Just do the next thing.”
Grace breaks thought our doubts as sunrise dawns once again, a persistent reminder our Creator sees, knows and loves us.
Grace sustains.
In the midst of whatever is going on…Grace remains.
Grace is more persistent than pain.
I needed these words today, as I battle to keep my head above water, to still the racing thoughts that usually accompany prolonged illness. My body is wracked with illness, and my compromised immune system is losing the battle. I am feeling discouraged and peace eludes me. Procrastination has taken up residence on my couch and quite honestly I want to join her. Thinking hurts as regrets and discouragement fuel a barrage of criticism, condemnation, and futility that take my breath away. Finding focus, purpose and solid ground is difficult and I am tempted to punt.
But Grace is more persistent than pain… and today that means: write a blog post, cross a few things off my “to-do” list, and then be gentle and kind to myself as I sink into the sofa with some tea and a good movie.
Grace pushes in- persistent, kind, affirming, inviting, sustaining.
Grace remains.
What does it look like or mean for you to lean into Grace today?
Post in the comments, share with friends, like on FB or Tweet… Everyone needs a little reminder about leaning into Grace today! thanks
