Grace is not a stationary thing

Grace is not a stationary thing. It is always found in a becoming.

Meister Eckhart (1260-1328) Theologian

So much seems to be changing and evolving. Information that was accurate yesterday has been updated today and will likely be different tomorrow. We try to stabilize our circumstances and then they shift; everything seems slippery. All is in constant movement.

Including grace.

Grace moves into small spaces. The generosity of grace often finds its way into the hidden crevices of our lives. Not usually grand, but sometimes transformative, grace comes in small packages. The warm smile of a person with a mop, the compassionate look of a person taking a temperature, the understanding voice at the other end of a phone. Even when we are weary or depleted, grace moves into the nooks of our need and deposits its kindnesses.

Grace moves independent of our merit. The broadness of grace touches us all. Not based on whether we deserve it or not, grace comes as a gift. Divinely generated, humanly conveyed, grace is something more, something extra, something essential we might not have known to ask for. It is often that thing that finally ends our hunger that we didn’t realize we craved.

Grace’s impact moves over time. The beauty of grace is often hidden – unknown until unfolded. In time, we notice how grace has altered our outlook, has softened a rough edge or sharpened our focus. Sometimes grace and pain co-exist until grief allows our pain…somehow…to rest. Looking back, we may realize that it was grace that altered our course. It can often be most fully known in hindsight.

Grace is our companion – mysterious, healing, unceasing.

How can I be on the lookout for a simple grace today? What gift of grace can I offer someone?