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Grace 9 Jul 2018

What is grace? With 'graceful' we may think about a beautiful young lady. Graceful speaks about more than beauty. It also speaks about pleasant and joyful behaviour.

Disappointments and hardships of life may rob our grace. We may like immediate results and be impatient. An opposite of graceful could be rude, enforcing our ways.

Undeserved

A different meaning of grace is: an undeserved favour. We may be treated kindly while we actually hardly deserve such. We may be forgiven for an offense without having to pay a price and without being revenged.

A very special thing of grace is that it breaks the circle of violence. No more 'an eye for an eye' or 'a tooth for a tooth' or much worse.

Grace reaches a hand for peace by the one who is offended. It is an offer for restoration of the broken relationship. It is an offer for peace where there is still pain. And we may not be asked to pay for our offense.

Free with offered grace?

Is the offer of grace to us sufficient?
a) We may feel too ashamed, hurt or proud to accept an offer of grace.
b) We may be unwilling to restore what we unrightfully have taken.
c) We may be happy with our 'offensive' decision.
d) We may repeat our offense(s)
In other words: grace needs to be received.

Accepting Grace

May be harder than it appears. True grace needs patience, lovingkindness.
The offender needs time. Sometimes years before he or she can accept offered grace.

The perfect giver of grace is God. He infinitely loves me and you.
It remains a question:

How long do I resist ...