Turtles and Grace for the Moment

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.

Anne Lamott

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Sometimes I wish I could be a turtle. They have that lovely armor that doubles as a snug home in a pinch. The tortoise even won the race against the hare; however, the turtle moves at a slow pace, which can be rather frustrating when he’s crossing the road in front of your car. You may wonder why I am focused on turtles today. Funny you should ask.

Word of the Day

I have been reading a lot of books, partially because I had promised to review them and felt bad for being behind and partially because I had a sudden urge to learn and grow. The last part may be a reaction to the approaching fall weather and the association with school. I also received several offers of free instruction and wanted to make the most of the time. No matter the source, I saw a pattern of thoughts keep repeating: give yourself some grace.

One speaker referred to grace like manna, meaning we get what we need for the day when we need it, nothing more or less. Another suggested trying softer instead of harder when we fail to meet our own expectations. One of the books I read to review, I am now going back through as my daily devotional: Soul Care When You’re Grieving by Edie Melson, which releases in a couple of weeks. The first entry was 2 Corinthians 12:9, His grace is sufficient.

One Vertebra at a Time

The last couple of days I have been dealing with headaches and neck aches from a combination of change in weather and TMJ along with moving things I probably shouldn’t move and sleeping in odd positions so that I don’t drown due to sinus drainage. It’s aggravating and makes it a little difficult to focus and think. I was praying for it to just go away, but God said one vertebra at a time. Anne Lamott said the title of her book Bird by Bird came from her father telling her brother to approach a report on birds by taking one bird at a time. My version is not as lyrical, but it is spot on.

Slowly but surely, little pops and clicks have been heralding the arrival of bones going back to where they normally belong. Like the turtle, slow and steady wins the race, but it is slowing down the completion of my lists. You know to do lists? Then, I hear a little whisper that says just rest for a bit. Last week was a marathon of events that left me tired, but I felt the urge to get back on task. It wasn’t going to happen as fast as I wanted. My list might needed pruning, which caused frustration thanks to my inner critic. I should be back on task by now, shouldn’t I?

Grace Like Manna

God, on the other hand, gives grace to us even when we don’t want to give it to ourselves. He slows us down when we think we should run because He knows we need the break even if we fight it tooth and nail. When we stop and accept the grace He offers, we get the strength we need. We don’t get Herculean level portions; just what we need to do what needs to be done today. The rest can wait. So, if something gets in your way to slow you down today, it might just be a little grace of God being portioned out for that moment. The turtle will move out of the way in time, so take a moment to enjoy a little music while you wait.