Look for the grace filled moments!!

by Colleen White aplaceofgracepuppies.com

In today’s world, it’s easy to get caught up in the negatives; the nastiness of politics, social injustices, the lack of truth in media, hurricanes, wildfires, human trafficking, covid-19… The list goes on and on. When we turn on the tv, or look at social media it seems that’s all we see. While we need to be aware of those things, if we only fill our minds, our souls, with negativity, we will deteriorate in to just what the enemy wants us to be!

A long time ago, (holy crap-a VERY long time ago!) I was involved in a group at my church called “The Ministry of Mothers Sharing.” It was a diverse group of moms, some more “seasoned” than others, that gathered weekly for an 8 week course, using a guide written specifically for the program. It concentrated on scripture relative to our motherhood and womanhood, journaling, and sharing our thoughts, fears, and experiences in a no judgement zone full of trust and love. I can’t begin to tell you what that group did (and still does) for me! One of my biggest takeaways from that program was a chapter on “looking for the grace filled moments,” something I still strive to do every single day! They’re the moments of realization that God is with me, always. It can be something as small as a smile from a stranger when someone else has been rude, a beautiful rainbow on a particularly cloudy day, or a flower that has perked up after a rainstorm. It can be as large as a parent telling you, as you both stand outside of a mental health facility waiting to visit your children after a suicide attempt, that YOUR child has been HER child’s saving grace while in the facility; that she didn’t think her girl could make it through if it wasn’t for your’s. That’s a true story, and one that made our experience just a bit more bearable. Afterall, my beautiful daughter said after the fact, that if her experience could help even one child, it was worth what she went through. She was used to show another child God’s grace. What better reason is there to exist?

Now, grace filled moments don’t just come after the storms in life! Just sitting in the backyard with a glass of wine in hand, music playing, and a cool breeze blowing, is an evening full of grace! (ok, ok… maybe 2 glasses? A bottle?) A precious memory of a lost loved one that brings a smile to your face, or a $10 check in mail when you’re low on gas money is a perfect example of a grace filled moment!

So here’s a challenge!! Look for those moments!! Look for them every day! Look for them amid the storms of life, and look for them in still moments! Let them fill your soul until they spill out to everyone around you! It’s exactly what this world needs right now!!