Grace

Sometimes I realize a life lesson in the strangest ways. After a shopping trip with Marlee to "Ulta Beauty", the word Grace has been on my mind. Webster's dictionary defines Grace as 1.) beauty of form or movement 2.) favor; goodwill 3.) prayer of thanks 4.) God's unmerited love for man.

A perfume that I wear defines Amazing Grace as: how you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain and, so it is with life, which for many of us becomes one big gigantic test followed by one big gigantic lesson, in the end, it all comes down to one word, Grace. it's how you accept winning and losing, good luck and bad luck, the darkness and the light.

One more description of Grace that I like is: life is a classroom. We are both student and teacher. Each day is a test. Each day we receive a passing or failing grade in one particular subject: Grace. Grace is compassion, gratitude, surrender, faith, forgiveness, good manners, reverence, and the list goes on. It's something money can't buy and credentials rarely produce. Being the smartest, the prettiest, the most talented, the richest, or even the poorest, can't help. Being a humble person can and being a helpful person can guide you through your days with Grace and gratitude.

All of this about Grace leads me to my first thought on Grace. My step-mother. She is all of these things. Betty faces life's challenges with the Grace of a saint. She always seems to see the best in every situation and with a smile on her face. When we should be boosting her up, she is thinking of us. Through 3 bouts of breast cancer and now facing a 4th, Betty has encouraged all of us that it will be okay. That God will be there for her.

Betty is the definition and the picture of GRACE. My prayer of her is, please God, watch over her. Heal and bless her. Please give her a peaceful and happy life with a loving family around her. Wrap your arms around her and protect her. Amen