The Pace of Grace
There are seasons in life that call for survival. These seasons require beyond human strength, incredible patience and a lot of perseverance. These seasons can last for various lengths of time and often they last a lot longer than we expected. These seasons could come when a loved one passes away, when you lose your job, when you are working beyond your emotional, physical and mental capacity or in a school program then seems to never end. These seasons come when you add a child to your family, when you're waiting to add a child to your family or are parenting a child. These seasons come full of unknowns and full of demands that you do not know how you will meet - emotional, physical, mental, financial, etc.
During these seasons I am tempted speed up time (as if I had control of it). I am tempted to provide empty "fillers" in life just to make it through the day. I am tempted to "push the pace of grace".
When I am tempted to "push the pace of grace" I find myself frustrated, short-tempered and a very difficult person to live with. When I am tempted to "push the pace of grace" I assume my self-proclaimed title of "God" and get frustrated when I fail in this title because I am not in fact, God.
To push the pace of grace means I'm making a lot of assumptions. Assumptions that I know what is best, that I know all the factors of what is happening in my world and the world around me and that I know what the future holds and what I'm being prepared for. To push the pace of grace means that I do not want to persevere and make it through the hard stuff. It means I want an easy life with no struggles.
These seasons of survival in which I am tempted to push the pace of grace often seem like they are just for survival's sake. Sure there can be a silver lining somewhere and lessons to be learned but sometimes we feel as if all we can do is make it and if a lesson comes out of it, great!
We may not ever get to know "why"? Maybe we are just to persevere. Maybe there is something greater that God is doing. In The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen says, "the great illusion of leadership is to think that man (or woman) can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there." I want my perseverance and my surviving to be worth something and to benefit others. This is not a bad thing. I do wonder if that is God's primary purpose though.
During these times I think that God might be more interested in our relationship with him than answers to our questions. I wonder if he cares more about us coming to him, expressing our need for him and de-throning ourselves as "God". I wonder if he cares more about us believing that he loves us and is still with us.
When I am tempted to "push the pace of grace" I am missing out on God. I am missing out on the amazing Creator who loves me and wants me to know that. I am missing out a God who wants relationship with me. What am I missing out on when I am tempted to "push the pace of grace"? What am I missing out on when all I'm trying to do is survive?
As you are in seasons of survival, yes, you will be persevering and possibly just making it through the day. My prayer is that God would show you glimpses of his grace and love so that you would find a small reprieve in the striving and you would be able to rest in his love.
During these seasons I am tempted speed up time (as if I had control of it). I am tempted to provide empty "fillers" in life just to make it through the day. I am tempted to "push the pace of grace".
When I am tempted to "push the pace of grace" I find myself frustrated, short-tempered and a very difficult person to live with. When I am tempted to "push the pace of grace" I assume my self-proclaimed title of "God" and get frustrated when I fail in this title because I am not in fact, God.
To push the pace of grace means I'm making a lot of assumptions. Assumptions that I know what is best, that I know all the factors of what is happening in my world and the world around me and that I know what the future holds and what I'm being prepared for. To push the pace of grace means that I do not want to persevere and make it through the hard stuff. It means I want an easy life with no struggles.
These seasons of survival in which I am tempted to push the pace of grace often seem like they are just for survival's sake. Sure there can be a silver lining somewhere and lessons to be learned but sometimes we feel as if all we can do is make it and if a lesson comes out of it, great!
We may not ever get to know "why"? Maybe we are just to persevere. Maybe there is something greater that God is doing. In The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen says, "the great illusion of leadership is to think that man (or woman) can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there." I want my perseverance and my surviving to be worth something and to benefit others. This is not a bad thing. I do wonder if that is God's primary purpose though.
During these times I think that God might be more interested in our relationship with him than answers to our questions. I wonder if he cares more about us coming to him, expressing our need for him and de-throning ourselves as "God". I wonder if he cares more about us believing that he loves us and is still with us.
When I am tempted to "push the pace of grace" I am missing out on God. I am missing out on the amazing Creator who loves me and wants me to know that. I am missing out a God who wants relationship with me. What am I missing out on when I am tempted to "push the pace of grace"? What am I missing out on when all I'm trying to do is survive?
As you are in seasons of survival, yes, you will be persevering and possibly just making it through the day. My prayer is that God would show you glimpses of his grace and love so that you would find a small reprieve in the striving and you would be able to rest in his love.
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