recent grace...

Who am I?
In reality that is what blogging is about...
telling others about ones
feelings,
thoughts,
history,
experiences,
dreams.

That's what I've been doing
and a small cadre of folks
seem to be interested
and that's good...
but in reality I do it
for my
self.

I don't seem to be able to
keep a written journal...
one with paper pages and ink....
but I seem to be able to
do this thing called a blog.

I intend to keep
it up.
I've found it
to be a source of
sanity and
grace.

So....I'll continue to tell my story
slowly.
I've learned
good stories
take time.

One re-occurring
theme in my life is
grace.

Lately grace
has been stacking up.

Recent Grace stories:

A first grader in the church handed me a gift bag on Sunday.
It was filled with three items.
A paper kite she had intricately made with her hands.
A flat eraser on which she had written a message in ink.
A card addressed to PB. Pastor Blake.
All these items given to me as I prepare for a trip.
All with a message, "I'll miss you."
That's grace.

Two older women...or I should say...
two wise, wonderful, gifted women
wrote my parents letters this week.
Both told them incredibly
sweet
encouraging
things about me.
Their words
filled my eyes with grateful
joyful
tears.
That's grace.

A young couple...
engaged, asked me to marry them.
Two young women
both serving in the
Young Adult Volunteer ministry at the church
asked me to eat lunch
with them.
Two young men
preparing to become leaders
in the church offered me words of
advice and gratitude.
One young woman trusting me enough
to share her desperation
called yesterday.
That's grace.

My mother spoke with
eloquence
and confidence
and truth
on my behalf....
My father simply expressed
his anger on my behalf.
That's grace.

A friend...
at the last minute
went to dinner with me last night.
Another friend from far away
texted and said,
"You are always welcome in my neck of the woods,
I'll even help you find a place to live!"
Another friend called me late to
tell me something funny....
"I knew you would think it is funny.
I just knew it!"
Another friend called even later
to share her stories
only after hearing mine.
Another friend calls me every morning.
Another friend drank coffee with me this morning.
That's grace.

A daughter texts me
and tells me she loves me
constantly.
A son calls me often
to see how I am
and to share what's going on in his life.
That's grace.

Personal visits
phone calls
emails
offering me thanks for
being vulnerable enough
to share my personal story...
each telling me it gives them
peace and courage to
come to terms with
and to share their stories
which are very different from mine.
That's grace.

Grace heaped upon grace.
I have been
and am being
re-shaped by grace.