Do You Extend Grace?

Hello beautiful people! It has been a few weeks since we last spoke; my apologies but, sis has had a very busy last few weeks. Let me explain…

So many celebrations, milestones and heck…unexpected life issues have occurred. We celebrated my oldest daughter’s birthday, school started back, I celebrated my 10th wedding anniversary (post coming soon), and some good and not so good things decided to pop up and like anyone; I had to adjust and readjust. However, here we are together and I could not think of a more perfect time to discuss “EXTENDING GRACE”.

What is Grace?

Grace is something that we very seldom do for ourselves or others. Grace is showing kindness and sometimes forgiveness even when we may feel that people have not done right by us. Extending grace goes both ways, you have to extend grace to yourself and to others. I was beating myself up that I have not been as consistent the past few weeks with my blog posting, both here and on social media. All sorts of negative thoughts went through my head if I am being transparent. That negative self-talk tends to creep up every so often, but I said enemy get behind me LOL!! I had to tell myself that life happens and remind myself that I am not perfect and I cannot do everything on a timeline. I have to mother, I have to wife, I have to friend, I have to work, I have to daughter, I have to serve God, and somewhere in there I have to sleep LOL. I extended myself grace and reminded myself that although I may not be as consistent as I may want to be, that doesn’t mean it is always going to be like this. I told myself, it has been a month sis…extend yourself some grace.

Now some of us are better at extending grace to ourselves and not others. We tend to forget that others may be going through something or life issues take ahold of them as well and we have to extend that same kind of grace. We can be so quick to judge someone on what they MAY OR MAY NOT be doing, getting upset because they missed your call or text, or they may have just checked out for a moment to gather the strength to face the days ahead. But, what do we do? We tend to get upset because they go dark for a moment. Where is the empathy? Where is the grace? That does not mean that they don’t like or love you any less or that they “acting funny” as some people like to say; they just needed a moment. AND THAT’S OK! Grace requires us to look at someone else with compassion and empathy. Have you checked your levels yet? Does your empathy cup runneth over so that you can eagerly extend grace to others?

Extending grace often gets labeled as being weak or giving too many chances; better yet, how about making excuses. WRONG, WRONG AND WRONG. Have you ever thought that maybe just maybe it is a cry for help, you are drowning with “things” that you want to do but not enough hours in the day to do them, etc. All of these scenarios call for grace.

Let’s take it to church…

KJV - Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Allow me to go deep for minute…

God’s love for us as sinners is so great and so mighty that He sent His only begotten son to die for a world that neither cared for and at times did not love Him back. God’s love, mercy and grace are what allow us to have an infinite number of chances. God’s grace never quits.

Every good thing that we have ever received is only because of God’s grace. All our accomplishments, the life we live, milestones, are only by His grace.

Because of who God is, God wants us to extend grace to others. He wants us to forgive them, to love them and to be kind to them even if they make it hard to justify doing so. When I think about extending grace, numerous incidents come to mind when I have had to extend grace to others and let’s be clear, grace from others had to be extended to me as well. Lord knows, I can “sit here in your face” and tell you, I AM THANKFUL FOR THE GRACE THAT OTHERS HAVE EXTENDED ME, YOU HEAR ME? LOL!

Let me sum this up by saying, it does not make you less than if you extend grace to someone or something. It makes you appealing to God’s sight, it makes you empathize and lead with kindness, heck it makes you freaking human. Give out grace like you give out likes on social media.

Till next time,

Kesha La’Sara