Tag Archives: Life

how tight of a grip.

10 Jan

If there’s anything I’ve learned about grace, it’s that it always comes when I least expect it.
In the heavy days where the air felt too thick to swallow or cut through. In the dry days, when the road ahead looked bleak, no longer full of enchantment, fulfillment, and life. The only thing consistant was time, and how it passed before me.

It was in those times, I learned most tenderly and assuredly just  how tight of a grip grace could have on me.

And It’s not that it prevents the pain, but it will kindly soften It’s blow.
It will deaden a sting before the venom can quench the life and hope right out of you.
And beautifully enough, for the days that feel like the blow was felt hard and sharp – and the sting, so painful and present. Real grace is found there too. In that moment when your legs are too tired to continue with shoulders too exhausted to uphold, and a heart too afraid…

You can LEAN.  
Fully, completely, confidently, arms open wide, numb heart and emotions finally exposed – into a grace given so freely. Standing tall, and strong, it’s there – ready to relieve a weight you were never meant to bear – while gladly offering you a strength you never thought was conceivable. It’s a beautiful, humbling, and frightening exchange of weakness.

This Grace is received.
 
it’s breathed in like the air
rushing in so it can fill
every open wound uncovered
it lifts
every entangling weight
it carries
a heart dense and heavy
it will revive
and redeem.
like a gift willingly given
so gladly given
it must be received.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves. (Mat 11:28, Phil 4:23)

in all things.

23 Nov

“Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I’ve ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the wake of all the rushing…. Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away.” – Ann Voskamp

 

The holidays are always the busiest time of the year. Thanksgiving is upon us and people are going nuts. We’re grocery shopping, trying to find that old recipe that we’ll never make as good as our mom did, and decorating up a storm because we’re all so… in a hurry. It’s this build up for a morning parade, afternoon football game, and an evening food coma and then… in a blink of an eye, this day of thanks will be behind us.

It’s easy for me to let the busyness and the hurry, rob me from fully entering and embracing what this day (and every day) should be about.

Yesterday I found out  that my friend’s wife no longer has cancer. She had a PET scan two days ago and the amazing results were that there is no longer a single trace of lymphoma in her body. She will still be spending her Thanksgiving in the Hospital doing her second to last round of Chemo. Nevertheless, I can promise you that through the pain and discomfort she’ll be experiencing tomorrow… while we are watching the cowboys lose and getting our 2nd helping of pumpkin pie.. She will be in a hospital bed full of thanks! Maybe full of tears, discomfort, and a tired mind and body from this battle, too - But her heart… Her heart will be gushing over with thankfulness, for another day of living and breathing in and out an air that’s full of grace and hope and life

I want to slow down, take a deep and long breath, and soak in the endless blessings around me. Because I don’t want to wait for tragedy to teach me what I should really be thankful for, I want to live with eyes that see differently. With eyes that see in all things, the kindness of a loving God that willingly gives me what I have not earned and will never deserve.

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
Let it be a day of endlessly reflecting upon the amazing gifts we’ve been freely given.

 -S

love, loss, and a life ahead.

25 Aug

Even in the midst of tragedy, Hope and Grace can still be found… constantly steady they are standing tall, with arms wide open – ready to heal the deep places of us. They’re ready to gently and kindly help put the pieces back together, not for it to look like what was, but to beautifully bind together what will be.

This is the story of a beloved friend of mine and how he and his girls have encountered this kind of tragedy and loss, almost a year to the date.

Loss, helplessness, and great pain looked him and his family square in the face. And in those days, weeks, and months that followed loss, the posture of their heart remained in a place that can only equate to the immense kindness and grace of a very loving and very present God.
I want you to read about the very real story of how my friend Guy Delcambre and his family dealt with the loss of a wife, mother, and best friend. How they continue to cling to grace, with assurance that there is Hope not only for tomorrow, but for today, right now, even in this very moment.  Maybe you haven’t experienced a loss like this, but maybe you need to hear about a loving, kind, and gracious savior. One that will meet us at our lowest place, pick us up, and restore us to a new life again.

I GREATLY encourage you to read Guys words over at his wonderful blog allthingsdelcambre.com and start at his post “Rescuing Me” as he remembers the days leading up to the death of his wife Marianne. As he has stated, this is his goal in recounting those days with us all:

Over the course of the next week, I want to share just a bit of my heart as it was during the five days Marianne was in the hospital, the days just before she died.  I really hope you will be able to get a sense of God finding me as I sank deeply.  It is truly the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me.  And it happened in the darkest moments of my life

Do me a solid and SUBSCRIBE to His Blog so you don’t miss a post, follow him on Twitter so you can stalk him, just kidding… he does post pics of his stunning girls and keeps you informed on his new post as well. and lastly, please keep Guy and his girls in your prayers. It’ll be the best decisions you’ll make all week. Maybe all year.
Also, and be sure to scroll back a few days (or weeks, or months, or even years) to see some pictures of his beautiful girls and more encouraging post that he’s written that will be sure to inspire and offer hope to you, today!

-S
*please share this post on your twitter or facebook, so others will have the opportunity to be encouraged and blessed by Guy and his story*

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