Wednesday, October 3, 2012

October 3rd....Lesson - Disperse Grace

In our bible study we are going through "The Resolution" written by Priscilla Shirer.  It is a GREAT read and very convicting and encouraging.  This past week was on Living with Grace and focused on how many times when we have a bad day, bad moment, overreact, regret a comment, stress -- we have a choice, we can stir the pot more and make an already stressful situation more stressful, or we can CHOOSE to disperse grace. 

She talks about how often times the emotional level in a home is based around the wife/woman of the home.  In our family it is so true.  At dinner a while back, I asked my Dad what the hardest part of raising Scott and I was and he said it wasn't hard.  He started talking about some of our differences though.  He said that Scott was always harder to read...he is much more even-keel.  If he was mad, Dad never knew.  (the wall in his closet often did) If he was sad, he would necessarily tell anyone.  Dad then said, "you on the other hand....if you were happy, not only did the whole house knew, but the whole block knew and if you were upset, the whole street was down!"  I tend to be pretty authentic with my feelings, if I am upset you will likely be able to tell, if I fine, I am really fine, nothing hidden under the surface.

Well, in our chapter this week, it talked about how in a marriage, we can choose to disperse grace when our naturally tendency is to gripe, complain or stress.  She used the example of a couple barely making it and how one day the power went out and the wife knew they didnt have the money to pay the electric bill.  By the time her husband came home from work, exhausted from pounding the pavement and trying to do anything to provide for the family, that he walked into a home with dinner on the table, surrounded by candlelight.  The children thought it was fun to eat by candlelight and they had great discussions and quality time.  It wasn't until the man woke up the next morning to turn on the light to take a shower that he realized they weren't eating dinner by candlelight by choice the night before.  He was so touched by the support he received from his wife.  How much did the wife probably want to raise her concerns and complain, but she didn't.  She dispersed grace.

And that phrase has just stuck with me, disperse grace.  When your manager asks for something you have already given him 3 times, disperse grace.  When you are exhausted and don't want to think about what is for dinner, disperse grace.  When you made an extra effort to do something thoughtful for someone and it goes unnoticed, disperse grace.  When you get overlooked for a promotion, disperse grace.  When you spend the day cleaning and doing laundry for your kids, only to have to do it over again tomorrrow, disperse grace. How different would my day be, if every time a negative situation came up, we paused enough to figure out how we can show grace in that situation.  After all, Jesus loves us so much, he died for us, knowing that we would resist, deny him, sin over and over again, struggle, ignore and turn from him more than once in our lifetime.  We are human and will mess up (alot!) and yet, He showed us grace and has fully adopted us as His heir. 

Have you had the opporunity to disperse grace today?  I would love to hear about how God blessed you through the trial. 

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"I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well."



~Psalm 139:14