The Technicality of Grace

Day 234

Grace is a concept that has always intrigued me. For purposes of this post let me define grace as "receiving what we don't deserve." Have you noticed that when we give grace to one another, we almost always do it because it's technically the "right" thing to do?

Grace is rarely given easily or freely, and it's hardly ever our first response. Most of the time we finally get around to granting grace out of moral obligation or a wise political strategy.

If you think about it, grace is probably the most valuable thing we can give to another person. It's the freedom to struggle, to screw up, to be needy, to fall short, to offend and apologize, to sit out, to lag behind, to be quiet, to shout, to judge, to jump to conclusions, to be nosey, to misunderstand, and to disagree.

In short, it is granting someone the opportunity to be human with all the frustrating baggage that accompanies, all the while guaranteeing them love when the smoke clears.

Grace is the thing we find hardest to give, and it's the thing we are most desperate to receive. We ache for it because we can't buy it, take it, make it or trade for it. Grace cannot be mass-produced or stored in surplus. It originates from within us. When we offer it, we are offering a piece of ourselves. Grace can only be given and accepted.

So just remember that grace is no ordinary gift, because, if it were, we would only want to give it to those who deserve it. After all, that's why we give gifts most of the time.

However, if they deserved it, it wouldn't be difficult to give. If they deserved it, it wouldn't be nearly as valuable. If they deserved it, technically, it wouldn't be grace.