What is grace? Something I have heard many times, but never fully understood. If I am being honest, I still don't understand it fully. Moldova was a good month for me, but lessons needed to be learned. A lesson I need to learn is the balance between giving grace and speaking to a person about an offense. Something I learned is that I get offended easily. Shocker, I get upset when people say rude things. Being around 6 other people day in and day out gets old. People get annoying. People make me mad. The anger I had wasn't me. I prayed and prayed and what I realized was I don't give grace to people. What does that even mean?! Shoot, I had no idea. In the World Race environment we operate as people who call each other into greatness. Something that is different for each person. I learned very quickly that I had a few teammates that I simply needed to love better. My flesh said why love when you don't feel like it? But my Spirit said give grace and love well. Something calling into greatness consists of is if someone upsets you or does something they might not even realize is to speak up and talk to that person. Yes, very uncomfortable. What is community without communication? Nothing! The lesson I am learning is that grace is something that I constantly get from my Father, but often hold back in giving it to others. I kept asking myself, when do I give grace and when do I speak up? In my past if something went wrong between friends I would say oh that is my fault regardless of if it was myor not. To be honest, I just didn't want confrontation. Time and time again I got walked over in relationships. I am learning to speak. I am learning to give grace. I am learning what is means fight for someone.
One day I asked four of my teammates for the first thing that came to their mind. Their responses: football, teacup, red, lightning. Four very random things. There is one thing that makes them similar though, each thing can't function on its own. A football needs hands to throw it. A teacup needs tea inside of it. The color red needs another color because you can't make a picture with just one color. Lightning needs thunder. A football can be held in your hands, it needs air to work, it is a little rough to the touch. A teacup from the outside has a beautiful design, but usually on the inside there are some small cracks. Red is a fierce color, it is the color of blood, it is a color the makes up fire. Lightning lights up the sky, it is a jagged or zig-zag pattern. Like a football, I need the air of my Father to breathe into my lungs so I can function. I need the hands of my Father to hold me, to catch me when I am thrown. Like a teacup the Lord has made me a beautiful image of Him, but on the inside there are still things that are cracked that need remolding. Like the color red, I burn with a passion for my Father, I am cleansed by His blood. Like lightning I light up places, but the roar of my Father comes in the thunder. Similarly to the football, teacup, red, and lightning; I need each one of teammates. On days when all I want to do is be alone I need them. Each one of them teaches me different sides of the Father. I appreciate each one of them dearly. Offenses aside, give grace. To the people around you; give grace and love well.
