grace

Have you ever seen grace?
I have.
Many times, in just one day.
Today, actually.

Grace always seems like this abstract term that Christians (particularly Lutherans) throw around, and it's free (so that's always nice), but it's hard to conceptualize. Even more difficult to internalize, I find.

What is grace, anyway?

To me, grace is a lot of things.

grace
is having the chance to make amends for miscommunication and building a relationship instead
grace
is having the opportunity to ask for forgiveness with the hope that a second chance can be given
grace
is sometimes just letting kids be kids
grace
is God showing me that the prejudices and doubts that live in my head do not have to be my reality
grace
is my coworkers having the patience and tenacity to tell me that I can do my job, even when I so firmly believe otherwise
grace
is people who help me do things that I know I should be able to do when I feel like I can't
grace
is letting go when I know that something else is more important
grace
is having enough food for everyone when just last week the shelves seemed empty
grace
is giving someone the benefit of the doubt
grace
is compassion freely given by those whom I thought were against me

Grace is an undeserved gift
given free of charge
presented to you often when you're at your worst
giving you another chance.

I have experienced grace,
and let me tell you,

it's
amazing.