Grace

Effortlessly gliding through the still waters of life?

Do you know people who seem to glide through life with ease and grace? Everything seems to fall into place for them. Job opportunities fall into their lap. They find that special someone. They seem to rise above life's difficulties with faith and a hopeful attitude. Outwardly, it appears that they navigate through life effortlessly...similar to a Swan gliding across the pond.

It's easy to fall into this trap. You know the one...comparing someone's outsides with your insides. Several times a day I find myself crawling out of the self-pity trap. After a bit of self reflection, I realize that I want to covet the success of others without putting in the time and effort (e.g. hours praying for God's guidance and direction, daily disciplined footwork that leads step by step towards my desired dream or goal) to obtain the results. When I'm honest with myself, I begin to notice the dreams and goals that I have accomplished...one step at a time, with God's grace and a lot of footwork.

Remember the Swan gliding effortlessly across the still pond? Well, if you looked underneath the pond's surface, you'd see the his little webbed feet paddling at top speed.

God offers me this same Grace...

“If God wants you to do something, he'll make it possible for you to do it, but the grace he provides comes only with the task and cannot be stockpiled beforehand. We are dependent on him from hour to hour, and the greater our awareness of this fact, the less likely we are to faint or fail in a crisis.” -Louis Cassels (1922-1974)

Photograph taken at Spy Pond, Arlington, MA