Giving Grace

Finding my way back to Five Minute Fridays....where the writing is real, unscripted, unedited.  A place to link up with a crowd of encouragers to splash our words all over the pages.  To free our minds and our hearts and just write without worrying.  Todays prompt:  GRACE

THE UNMERITED, EXTRAVAGANT FAVOR WE EXTEND TO ONE ANOTHER.  Born of love and spooned out like compassion as we learn to give it away freely, with an expectation for nothing in return.  Not something that must be earned, traded or repaid.

It is an offering that springs from the depths of soul as we pour it out over those whose lives we can bless.

 

I offer it to you as we journey down the road of life.  When you stumble over the pebbles in your path and you fall down deep into a murky crevice.  I climb in next to you, and I wrap my arms around you and I begin to climb slowly and carefully out, I carry you and I drag you and I get underneath and push you.  And we step on.

I look back and see you have stumbled over the same pebbles and fallen back down.  This time I crouch down, and I reach in to grab your hand but I don't fall in myself.  I grip firmly and I help to steady you while you climb out, slowly and clumsily trying to find your footing.  We walk on.

Again, I turn my head to see you losing your footing as you cross the same small pebbles and you begin to tumble down.  This time I watch and I wait and when I see you flailing, and shouting and trying to find your way out alone I speak encouragement and I wait with my arms wide open to hold you when you get back up.  We journey forward.

And there you go, and this time I know you see them right in front of you, but you choose to cross the same pebbles and again you fall.   This time so hard.  You are broken.  You hurt.  You yell and you cry out how unfair it is.  You want someone to help you.  You scream that the pain is too much to bear and you can't do it alone, but you have forgotten that you are never truly alone.  And that is where the problem begins.  I don't walk back.  I wait and trust.  I pray for you and I whisper words of love and reminders of who you really are.  I beg you to do the work yourself, to look up instead of down, to move slowly and to plant your feet firmly.  And I wait, as I always will.  I will shine my light for you, even in the darkest hour.  I won't point and laugh.  I won't bet against you.  I won't allow myself to hear all that you aren't.  Because I know that just around the corner, there is a mountain I must climb, and I may slip and need your hand.  And when I reach I know you will be there.  We all fall down sometimes.  But me, I accept you.  I don't agree with you.  They are different, you know.  And so this time when you rise, and you stand and you begin to dust yourself off, I will be there with a shovel and a broom to help you fill in the hole and smooth away the pebbles.

Because that is grace and HIS grace is enough for the both of us.