when you want to give grace
and extend respect and play nice
. . . but you’re clumsy and injured and skeptical
look Grace in the eye and cry help
when you want to spread hope
and encourage dreams and fan faith
. . . but you’re hesitant and weak and suspicious
touch Hope in the heart and plead please
when you want to show love
and give compassion and meet needs
. . . but you’re tired and timid and scarred
stir Love in the Spirit and sing thank you
for your receipt of Grace
and your gathering of Hope
and your taking in of Love
so you can give Grace out
and spread Hope around
and show Love to all
when you want to
you’ll be enabled to
because He is able to
amen
* * *
Is there something you want to do, but don’t feel capable of doing? Please share in the comments.
Lisa, LOVE this! It’s so true. He will enable us when we want to, because if we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Jerri. I don’t always understand how, but I want to trust more that God will provide an unlimited supply of faith, hope, and love, not only for ourselves, but an overflow to give to others. He is that kind of God, yes? 🙂
I guess, yes, there is…and it’s happening.
I want to transcend physicality, both the emotional beating i get from pain, and the ‘high’ that comes with pleasure. They’re two sides of the same coin, and ying seemingly can’t exist without yang.
My hope is not to banish them – that’s unrealistic, and kinda stupid…but to accept them as they come, without flinching from the one and trying to hold to the other.
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2016/04/two-shots-story-of-viet-nam-blogbattle.html
Accepting things as they are…welcoming what comes. You’re hitting on a goal that many of us should be aiming for, regardless of where we are in our biological lifespan. Thanks, Andrew, for making it plain.
How grateful I am that He is more than able to accomplish all that I can’t / won’t / refuse to do.
And He keeps prompting me to look more to Him in the process and less to myself.
Can’t/won’t/refuse….that about covers it, Linda. I can slide up and down the scale in any number of areas. So grateful that yes, God can accomplish things despite us.
Good post Lisa…
Praying for you as you sit with your mom….
Beautiful Encouragement, Lisa! A few weeks ago, I was struggle with needing God to give me the right words and ability to deliver them the right way – when he’s there, I won’t trip over myself into a mess! Next time, I’ll remember your post and take it as standing in agreement with me in prayer!
You’ve been through a lot in the past few weeks, Maryleigh. I can’t imagine, but I’m thankful now that the words are coming to you again and that you’re able to ease back into your regular life. I know your family must be really glad too. 🙂
“when you want to
you’ll be enabled to
because He is able to” Wonderful line! Absolutely God is able to do it through us. Sometimes I commit to things and doubt that I can follow through with a good attitude. Lately, I just open my hands to Him and give it to Him. He really honors that prayer! Wow, I’m amazed!
Sounds like we have similar issues, Mary. 🙂 I can be excited about a project one day but then the next, worried that it’ll take too much time or I’m not capable or whatever. But yes, just opening our hands and giving it to God is the answer. Even if we’re still not skilled or sufficient in resources, God can use us easier with a submitted heart than with a poor attitude.
How often as believers who have been “in Him” for awhile we fail to call out and seek His grace! We need ever to be reminded we are not only saved by grace, but we are to live by grace. I continue to grow in learning how to better extend grace to myself. It can often be easier to offer it to others than it is to extend it to myself. Thanks, Lisa, for this lovely piece.
Beautifully said, Pam: “We are not only saved by grace, but we are to live by grace.” Grace for others and yes, grace for ourselves!
That was awesome. Thanks for the lift, Lisa.
Thanks, Floyd. It was a post resurrected from the past. It’s neat to go back sometimes and see things that we wrote awhile ago, and let the words minister to us in the now.