It's that time of the year when the avalanche of the memes, blogs, and articles about gratitude begins to direct our attention to the past... right before December strikes with all of its Clarity and Vision messaging for the future.
Some years, I'm all about it and want to jump on the Gratitude bandwagon -- grab a pen and paper, or even giant markers and butcher poster board, and memorialize all of the crazy amazing magic that year contained with glue and glitter.
Other years, I cringe and scroll right past all of that crap as I sit in the reality of the delays, detours, and disasters the last eleven months brought my way.
But one thing I've learned after almost two decades of witnessing people's stories is this:
Whatever side of the Gratitude scroll
you find yourself on,
"turning the light on" to the presence of GRACE
is a gift in the present moment.
I cannot count the number of times I've sat with someone in the ashes of a year (or a phase, or an entire lifetime) full of Grief and Grit and discovered the presence of Grace...
- in the smile or hug of a friend
- in the timing of a phone call or email
- in the provision that kept the lights on or tummies full
- in the realization of the deep resilience that made it possible
- in the signs, symbols, and synchronicities that lit the path
- in the story or song that soothed the soul
In fact, in all of my years of listening to stories full of tragedy and pain, I've not met one person who looked at their whole narrative and didn't find Grace working tirelessly on their behalf to offset the Grit and Grief...
So, my prayer for you this holiday season is that you find a moment to get present to
The Grace in Your Story...
And then my prayer for those around you is that you share it and find a way to pay that Grace forward.
Make it a Grace-giving!
I'll go first...
Looking back at this year, I could tell the story of Grief and Grit:
- clients and friends who disappeared and left much pain in their wake
- sleepless nights begging for healing for childhood wounds
- our furry friend of 14 years making his transition
- two beautiful businesses coming to a screeching halt
But I could also tell the story of Grace:
- I found my voice and spoke my truth in love, which set me free personally and gave others the opportunity to step into it with me (or not).
- In many of those sleepless nights, I was soothed by stories that gave me the blueprints for healing those very wounds.
- The pain of losing such an important family member is proof that my attachment wound and story is healing.
- If those businesses hadn't come to a screeching halt, I would have been too busy to see and invest in the other parts of my life that needed my energy and attention before I lost them for good.
I could go on and on and on, but I know you've got things to do... and I hope the first thing on your list is to Gather and Give Grace.
