Grace

It's been a long week.  As you may have read.  Because of some of our toddler trials, I feel particularly thankful for God's grace.  Grace that has been doled out to me with abundance.  I hope I never cease to recognize it. 

I looked up the definition of grace, and there are many variations, but I particularly liked this one:  Grace is God's unmerited favor. It is kindness from God we don't deserve. There is nothing we have done, nor can ever do to earn this favor. It is a gift from God. Grace is divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration...

I'm still tired today.  I'm still working through what it is we need to do to be good parents and teach our children obedience in love.  But I also feel thankful.  Thankful for grace given across the spectrum:

1.  The grace given to us when our nanny offered to do an intervention last night to see if the kids would go to bed for her.  So Maria Poppins returned at 7:15 last night to our house and while she bathed them and put them to bed (they were asleep by 8 pm for her, of course!), Bray and I went out for a drink and just enjoyed the quiet and reminisced about when we met (and how we would never have imagined all this!). 

2.  The grace given to me this morning to rest in our bed with little bit.  She and I are really at loggerheads right now, she's very defiant at times, but she crawled into our bed early this morning and since I was in no rush after boot camp I got to just snuggle with her and enjoy how precious she can be. 

3.  The grace given to our family to have the wherewithal to have a fun day out at the Aquarium on Sunday.  It all got lost in the drama over no sleeping, but Sunday really was a fun day before the escapades began.  We studied all the fish, rode the train through the sharks, went around and around on the carousel, and had lunch table side to a wall of fish.  The kids were happy and the parents were too. 

4.  The grace of family and friends who have prayed for us and encouraged us and reminded us that this will pass, all too fast, and that we will miss them being small.  It's true and we are grateful to have such love and support in our lives.

II Corinthians 12 - But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Psalm 62 - Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 116 - Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

Matthew 11 - Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.