Grace - the keyword for calming mama

There are some words that we use just because they fit real good in our sentences.  Let's take ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing).  I have never, ever, without a doubt, for sure, definitely ever laughed so hard that I was rolling on the floor laughing.  I mean it's bad enough that my kids spent their 1st year rolling on the floor.  Is this really a habit I want to continue in my house?  Do I really want to come in contact with crushed up food, cat hair, bunny hair and the mystery kid stain just because I want to laugh?  Uh...no.  But you will find me writing ROFL on a Facebook post as I tell the world this hilarious thing my child did that I knew they just had to know about so that they could have their turn rolling on their pet fur, rolling over their old Doritos and mopping up their kid's mystery stain with their shirt as they roll on the floor laughing.

Grace is another one of those words.  A word we use because it's really easy to fit it in a sentence and we actually look very, very good when we use it.  A win-win, right?  Well, maybe.  Do we know what it means?  Do we mean what we say when we use it?


Grace means giving someone something they don't deserve.  Or, giving someone a break when they don't actually deserve to get that free pass.  Normally our thought is something like this:   Someone did something to me and now they have consequences.

With kids this gets hard because kids need consequences - consistent consequences.  So, to start, it may be better to apply grace to others in your life (besides your children) until it becomes clear how to use it.  Not to discipline children because you always want to show them grace (which seems real nice!) can greatly impact your parenting.

Mama, if we start with showing grace to our husbands our marriages will strengthen and our hearts will soften.  Our husbands will be surprised when grace replaces anger at not getting the honey-do list done quickly enough (for us), not getting our oil changed on time and a myriad of other little things that become wedges in our marriages.  Start small with applying grace.  Get used to how it feels.  Get used to to the wonderful reactions you will get from your spouse - after they figure out that this change is for real.  Change because you love them and NOT because you are trying to butter them up for something!

I have been riding on a bus (not a real bus, come on mama, get another cup of coffee!) with "GRACE" on the side as I have journeyed out of anger these past 7 years.  I've been surprised at the stops this bus has made.  It has traveled to my past.  It's traveled through my attitudes.  It's busted through the road block of pride.  GRACE had a destination in mind - Jesus.  Grace drove me to Jesus.  I finally took the time to think about the grace I've been receiving ever since I asked Jesus into my heart.


I've done some bad stuff - mostly with my attitude - over the years.  Pride has been an issue for me at times.  Too high expectations for others has been a recurring theme.  But, when I asked Jesus into my heart, He has wiped that slate clean from anything I have ever done wrong - and ever will do.  He extended grace to me.  He took my sins on Himself, so that I can be without sin.  He didn't deserve to die on that cross.  I don't deserve to have a clean slate.  Jesus is Grace, perfect Grace.

Mama, we will never be able to give more grace to others than we have already received from Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, 

so that always having all sufficiency in everything, 

you may have an abundance for every good deed.

God will give us grace, so that we will have it in abundance to give to others.  I love that promise! 

We're not in a grace competition with Jesus.  Jesus just wants us to start.  So let's start today to show grace to others.  They might just end up so delighted that they ROFL!