9 PRACTICES OF GRACE
You’re invited……Really, YOU are Invited!
Isn’t it exciting to receive an invitation? You’ve been invited to spend time with someone who is eager to be with you.
If you’re like most, finding time to do anything nurturing, encouraging, or fun is difficult. It’s hard to tackle the long list of things to do at home: menu planning, cooking and cleaning up, laundry, pandemic-type cleaning of the bathrooms, vacuuming, garbage….. leaves to rake, snow to shovel…..you get the idea.
That list entails our household tasks. Now, think of all the obligations and deadlines you have at work. If you have children, the list gets bigger and more daunting. Suppose you find yourself overwhelmed, underappreciated, sad, angry and wondering if there is more to life than this. I hear you and want to give you hope and remind you of an invitation before you.
Amid everyday commitments, you are requested to attend events and show up at parties of all kinds. You’re invited to family reunions, volunteer opportunities, wedding showers, diaper kegs, and work or retirement celebrations, to name a few. Some of those invitations we quickly RSVP to and schedule into our planners, and others we avoid, like COVID-19.
Yet, if someone important, significant, or famous asked you to put a date and time on your calendar for them, you would jump right on it!
There is someone well-known, noteworthy, and wise who longs to be gracious to you, would like to listen to you, and deeply cares for you.
It’s God.
This is a fantastic invitation to think that the God of all is interested in spending time with you and me. WOW!
There are many creative, fun, and refreshing ways to do this. The main idea is to make space for God in your life. You just need to accept the invitation, RSVP to God, and show up. If you need a little help on how to do this, you’ll find nine ways to get you started and change your rhythm of life.
A promise from God is found in Matthew 11:30 (The Message), where Jesus says, "Keep company with me, and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Doesn’t that sound hopeful and refreshing?
To live freely and lightly is enticing. I’d encourage you to try one new way, a practice of grace each week. If you find it helpful or encouraging, stay with it. If you’re ready to move on, try a new one
9 Practices of Grace
Practice #1- Making Space for God
The spiritual practice of carving out 15-30 minutes a day dedicated to listening to God is transforming. However, it can be difficult to find the time, especially if you’re a mom or dad of young kids, run a company, or work two jobs.
To be blunt, it’s really about priorities. Carve out time for yourself and God.
Practice #2- Ask….What do I want?
You know that longing you have, the one that nags at you or, at times, feels more like an ache. Do you ever wonder what is that?
What if you paid more attention to it and recognized the longing as something important? Jesus knows your desires. He created them in you and for you because he knows you well
Practice #3-Pause
A pause is where you stop one thing before you begin another and recognize that you are intentionally transitioning. Read that again.
This spiritual practice is meant to center you and make you conscious of what you’re about to do. It helps you be present to the God who is with you. We can all use a pause to refresh.
Practice #4-Worship Your Way
When we worship something, we give it a lot of attention, time, and energy. Sometimes, the things we give our attention to don't really help. They may temporarily satisfy a want or hardship, but in the long run, they don't truly satisfy the need.
God notices a longing in each of our hearts. God sees YOU. What do you yearn for?
Practice #5- Know God
We speak an average of 7,000 words, some more or less daily. Thankfully, I don’t say all of the things, I think!
With so many words, noises, messages, decisions, etc., it can be challenging to hear God. Yet, we long to hear from Him. He communicates with us predictably, actively, and creatively. He uses many ways to converse with us, such as through books, people, music, etc.
God is still speaking and guiding us personally and intimately through the Bible. He can be known by us and he knows us deeply.
Practice #6- A Four Letter Word
Have you ever thought, “There’s never enough day to do what I want?” No matter what season or chapter of life you’re in, it can be challenging to find balance. Sometimes, you irrationally think you can balance all your commitments like a juggler keeping multiple balls in the air.
Time alone seems impossible, let alone a day of rest. Yet, it can happen.
Practice #7-Sabbath
Many have called the season of the 2020 pandemic “The Great Pause.” At that time, many of us reassessed what was important to us. If you were to take another “pause,” how would you describe the typical pace of your life in a word or short phrase? How does your life's pace affect how you relate to God?
According to author Adele Ahlberg Calhoun, “Sabbath is God’s gift of repetitive and regular rest.” In Matthew 11:28-30, we see the phrase “you will find rest for your souls.” But what does that look like in real life? What do you think of when you hear ‘rest for your soul’?
Jesus and His disciples had a rhythm of work & rest. The invitation is to live a life of sabbath simplicity!
Practice #8-Become Attentive
Children teach us to give our full attention to things. My granddaughter, Frankie, when she was a baby, could observe an object in her hand for minutes. She tasted it, moved it from one pudgy hand to another, dropped it, and searched for it quickly. She was 100% focused on what was in front of her.
We can capture that childlike focus in our adult lives. To do this, we need to be intentional.
Practice #9-Breath Prayer
This practice of grace is uncomplicated. It’s as easy as breathing. We all (this side of heaven) need to breathe, so you can be encouraged that this simple spiritual discipline called The Breath Prayer can bring life in many ways.
God breathed his breath of life into our being. In this intentional act of love, he brought life and purpose to us. His breath and Spirit connect us to him and one another. Breathing is required to exist physically and spiritually.
Why not use breath to be more present to ourselves and God? Breathing can be done anywhere and at any time (except for underwater). The point is you don’t have to make space or make time to do this. You can do it now. Come on……give it a try. BREATHE
We could all use a little peace, serenity, and hope. We are navigating the circumstances before us as best we can. Our hope is that through these practices, you will find a few tools to help you through your day.
The intent is not to overwhelm you but to equip you. The idea is to accept God’s invitation and make time for you and God; just like you do with close friendships.
God is constant, consistent, and unfailing. Now is a good time to do something different that will strengthen and deepen your relationship with Him. To offer you a new rhythm of life and remind you of His goodness and love. You’re invited to live fully alive.
