Grace

I have been thinking a lot about grace and the challenges that surround it.  It seems that attaining it isn't the only challenge, but there is also the challenges of accepting it when it either smacks you upside the head or when you see it, and even when it is offered to you on a silver platter.

By definition it is a state of mind, and like happiness or joy or fulfillment, it suggests that it is something that you should strive for.  It is acceptance, it is a sense of comfort in your place in the world and it seems to be an absolute willingness and ability to put the needs of others in front of your own needs.  I am sure theologians and philosophers and others have better definitions and examples and probably even tests so that you might know you are approaching anything near grace.

I have thought about this for several reasons.  First, a daughter of perhaps my best friends passed away after a 5 1/2 year fight with cancer.  Her thoughts were centered not on herself, but of fighting so that she could share every little bit of time with her seven year-old daughter.  That seems  to me like grace, as does the continuing ministry of her parents, who no doubt grieve deeply but also have to, in their roles as clergy, minister to their flocks and family.  That seems like grace, for no parent should have to bury their children.  Let's work on that so it doesn't happen as often as it does.  My heart aches for them.

I think that when I see this thing called grace it does smack me upside the head because I am usually so so far away from it.  For example, I have been blessed to travel these past frew weeks to London.  What an amazing privilege, and truly travel like this is just that, a privilege.  But there I was, surrounded by old pubs, good pints, great food, good people and a million other positives and great things and I know that I didn't  fully embrace all of it because a part of me was focused on such petty things such as work.  What is wrong with me that I couldn't set that aside for nine damn days and just accept all that blessed me while away?  Instead, it was a reserve that sometimes kept me up at night and sometimes distracted during the day.  How do I center myself, become more accepting, etc?  Those work challenges didn't go away during my absence--how do I continue to strive towards grace when there are challenges and more challenges every day? 

It is a journey, isn't it?  Perhaps that is my New Year's resolution or goal, to continue to strive towards grace.  I suspect that there will be good days/weeks/moments and there will be some when it will be obvious to all that I am nowhere near attaining anything.  Perhaps that is it, though.  It may be that the trying is what is important even when attaining this state seems so elusive.  I think I can manage trying.  Who knows?  I might get lucky.

As I said, London for awhile.  Fun.  I took but 80 or so digital pictures though I did take more black and white photos that that might populate these pages in the next few weeks.  Even the digital photos that I did take are limited because I only brought at small point and shoot--apologies in advance.   English trees are a theme--they are remarkable.    The weather was great except for the day of the Smithfield meat auction.  I have been to London quite often, and I don't think that I have ever seen anything quite so quirky.  The others are mostly self-explanatory.