Name the Graces

To see the glory, name the graces.             Ann Voskamp – One thousand gifts devotional

This line, this simple statement has replayed in my head for two weeks.  To see the glory, name the graces.  I remember a prayer when I was 18 years old, enamored by the story of Moses on the mountain calling out to God, “show me your glory”.  This has been a consistent cry of my heart through the years, Lord, show me your glory.  I’m in awe of glory and I long to see it daily.

In Exodus the story goes on to say that God positioned Moses in a cleft in the rock and covered his face with his hand as he passed by.  Basically, God put Moses between a rock and hard place then allowed his goodness to pass before him.

Friends, it is in the hard places of life that I am most clearly able to see God’s glory – his goodness – his graces.

When days are hard, when darkness falls, when motherhood squeezes every bit of life out of me I must choose to count the graces… and in that place, I see his glory.

What does grace look like in my life?   It looks like surrender to a plan that I never planned.  A move to a place I never considered to position us for a part we didn’t know we would play.  It’s pure grace that we have four parents, still living and well and able to help us raise children we never knew we would love.

Grace came from the lady at the pizza place who came in for her shift at what was obviously her second job.  And when this crazy momma became frustrated that our pizza order was completely wrong – she saw the exhaustion in my eyes and responded with patience, kindness and love.  She offered me ice-cream to calm my crying girls as we waited for our pizza.  When I said “I just need it in a box so I can leave”, she graciously carried it out to the car because my arms were tied up with little people.  We were on day 3 without daddy, my eyes had cried all day after leaving the land where we had just lost our dog and walked into an empty house…  she saw past my attitude, she saw me at my end and offered grace.  I will be forever humbled by her gift. Undeserved grace.

Grace is the sister that reminds you there’s an oil for your control freak ways… put.it.on.   Grace is the daycare that stays open til 6:00, just in case you need it.  Grace is the neighbor that waits hours outside to give your girls the gift they brought back from Disney World.  Grace. Grace. Grace.

Grace is the friend that walks with you through the pains of life, loss and love.  The ones that come around you when everything is falling apart and don’t say it’s going to be ok, but are willing to say, this stinks but I am here with you.

Grace is the fellowship, your people, the ones that live life with you. Grace is that moment when your head hits the pillow, all is quiet and you slip into rest.

Grace is his goodness, his faithfulness, his glory that passes before you, even when you’re too busy to see it.  Grace is the obedience of one to share the word or dream that God has given them, so you are better able to respond with obedience.

Take a moment.  Name the graces.  Find the glory.  It’s worth it.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. ….   ¹⁶ For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace.    John 1:14, 16

Grace after Grace.  These are our gifts.

Thank you for being a channel of God’s grace in my life.  Every word of encouragement, support and prayer is deeply appreciated.  Please continue to pray as we move into the next phase of adoption.  I would love to move smoothly through this without any bumps or bruises.  I see the undeniable thread of grace in our story and trust that God is not finished yet.