What an amazing (grace!) question! I hadn't been able to articulate the path the Lord wants me to take during this season of Lent, but I think it's very much along these lines. I think it's easier for me to think about and talk about grace, than it is to live in it.
Hard relate to the lack of grace for myself (with a bit of a trickle down for others) and to the lack of noticing that lack of grace without some outside witnessing. Last year, I made mercy my word of the year, with an emphasis on myself. I'm not sure how far I got, but at least I was able to acknowledge when the rest of your life is hard, your workouts should be easy. It's progress.
"Grace is understanding that neither the “good luck” or the “bad luck” in this life are earned. Grace is acknowledging that all things—glut and drought alike—come from the hand of God, and blessing is often hidden in both in surprising ways."
Sally, I'm discovering it takes a very long time of walking with Jesus to really let this truth sink in.
What a gift your therapist is!
And oh, the parables that will continue among all your wild roots. It's so nice to "hear" your voice again.
I relate so much to this! Thank you for writing so openly about your experience. Same here with the garlic last year, and setting the bar too high every single time.
Welcome back! I have not been publishing anything for a longer time, but I have been writing about the authoritarians hijacking and pillaging our democracy, and “publishing” in the comments below the videos/articles on YouTube. In my long absence from Substack they have added so many new features that the look has changed enough to baffle me and I had more urgent issues on which to expend my limited amount of energy since I had a stroke, followed by my second heart attack. I am rallying, my major issue is resolved for now and tonight I found my way back to being able to post. I also found that some of my “comments” had been posted for me, after I had checked the “notes” box.
More later and I am glad you are back! This post is exactly what I would have recommended: Write about the issue that is stopping you from writing. As an addiction counselor I required more writing from my groups than most. I believe that if you think, “Maybe I do use too much…” that is a good start. If you tell someone, “I have been thinking I need to drink less,” that is better yet. If you write about the problems it causes in your life, that is still better. In order to write about it, so it makes sense, you cannot gloss over issues that you really haven’t thought through enough to understand. Then, let it sit for a few days and come back to it. If you don’t find it easy to understand “cold” then rework it. Another perspective can come through drawing it. Artistic skills are not necessary. Stick figures etc. The benefit does not arise from the finished product, but from the effort to think about how to illustrate your feelings. One person drew a liquor bottle, lying on its side, a few last drops coming out and a stick figure representing herself, walking away from the prison that bottle had come to represent.
Oh, and you seem to believe you are a failure at nurturing plants, but I have seen you nurture many other writers in Writer’s Hour. And the act of planting requires enough focus to do it right, but also leaves space to turn over ideas in your head that you want to write about and even sparks some new ideas.
PETE!! It’s so lovely to see you again and it does my heart good that you’re still being your wonderful self here on Substack!!
You’re too kind, but thank you. Those Office Hours days feel like forever ago, but you have always been such a supportive bright spot on this platform and I’m so pleased (but not surprised!) to see that that hasn’t changed a bit. ❤
Thank you for openly sharing, Sally! I don't know if it's the exact same feeling, but I definitely have bouts of "What is the point of me doing this if it's not going to lead anywhere?!?" One thing that helps me is understanding God would not have endowed us with these healthy desires if he did not want us to exercise them (failure or not). I guess we just need to figure out why in the process. I'm thankful you're writing about it and trying to figure it out as well. Thanks again for the faithful insights.
"I picked her from all the local therapists available because I wanted to know that she would understand where I’m coming from spiritually—so it’s largely rhetorical. We both know that how I feel about grace shouldn’t matter if I believe what I say I believe."
CONGRATULATIONS! Back When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, I was ordered into therapy by my Primary as a condition for him continuing to continue my barbiturate pain med. I went through lists and made phone calls. This guy said he was a Believer; I think he was merely supportive of the idea.
It didn't take to many sessions for me to realize he did not understand my Faith journey.
The acceptance of how very little in the life of a Believer is insignificant.
As our society blunders along, this strikes me often.
You are so right. God is good. He supplies us with grace that we don't deserve. We can never do enough or be enough to buy providence. Good luck with the peas. :-)
What a way to bring WP back. Hope planting the seed of this post was in the same spirit as planting those peas. Looking forward to whatever else comes!
What an amazing (grace!) question! I hadn't been able to articulate the path the Lord wants me to take during this season of Lent, but I think it's very much along these lines. I think it's easier for me to think about and talk about grace, than it is to live in it.
Great stuff. Thanks for sharing with us.
Beautifully stated, Allison. I don’t know about you, but I’m realizing that grace is something I too easily allow to be theoretical.
Thank you for reading! Praying God reveals your lenten path to you as you walk it! 🌿
Hard relate to the lack of grace for myself (with a bit of a trickle down for others) and to the lack of noticing that lack of grace without some outside witnessing. Last year, I made mercy my word of the year, with an emphasis on myself. I'm not sure how far I got, but at least I was able to acknowledge when the rest of your life is hard, your workouts should be easy. It's progress.
"Grace is understanding that neither the “good luck” or the “bad luck” in this life are earned. Grace is acknowledging that all things—glut and drought alike—come from the hand of God, and blessing is often hidden in both in surprising ways."
Sally, I'm discovering it takes a very long time of walking with Jesus to really let this truth sink in.
What a gift your therapist is!
And oh, the parables that will continue among all your wild roots. It's so nice to "hear" your voice again.
I relate so much to this! Thank you for writing so openly about your experience. Same here with the garlic last year, and setting the bar too high every single time.
Welcome back! I have not been publishing anything for a longer time, but I have been writing about the authoritarians hijacking and pillaging our democracy, and “publishing” in the comments below the videos/articles on YouTube. In my long absence from Substack they have added so many new features that the look has changed enough to baffle me and I had more urgent issues on which to expend my limited amount of energy since I had a stroke, followed by my second heart attack. I am rallying, my major issue is resolved for now and tonight I found my way back to being able to post. I also found that some of my “comments” had been posted for me, after I had checked the “notes” box.
More later and I am glad you are back! This post is exactly what I would have recommended: Write about the issue that is stopping you from writing. As an addiction counselor I required more writing from my groups than most. I believe that if you think, “Maybe I do use too much…” that is a good start. If you tell someone, “I have been thinking I need to drink less,” that is better yet. If you write about the problems it causes in your life, that is still better. In order to write about it, so it makes sense, you cannot gloss over issues that you really haven’t thought through enough to understand. Then, let it sit for a few days and come back to it. If you don’t find it easy to understand “cold” then rework it. Another perspective can come through drawing it. Artistic skills are not necessary. Stick figures etc. The benefit does not arise from the finished product, but from the effort to think about how to illustrate your feelings. One person drew a liquor bottle, lying on its side, a few last drops coming out and a stick figure representing herself, walking away from the prison that bottle had come to represent.
Oh, and you seem to believe you are a failure at nurturing plants, but I have seen you nurture many other writers in Writer’s Hour. And the act of planting requires enough focus to do it right, but also leaves space to turn over ideas in your head that you want to write about and even sparks some new ideas.
I think I said something about heading for bed….
PETE!! It’s so lovely to see you again and it does my heart good that you’re still being your wonderful self here on Substack!!
You’re too kind, but thank you. Those Office Hours days feel like forever ago, but you have always been such a supportive bright spot on this platform and I’m so pleased (but not surprised!) to see that that hasn’t changed a bit. ❤
Thank you for openly sharing, Sally! I don't know if it's the exact same feeling, but I definitely have bouts of "What is the point of me doing this if it's not going to lead anywhere?!?" One thing that helps me is understanding God would not have endowed us with these healthy desires if he did not want us to exercise them (failure or not). I guess we just need to figure out why in the process. I'm thankful you're writing about it and trying to figure it out as well. Thanks again for the faithful insights.
"I picked her from all the local therapists available because I wanted to know that she would understand where I’m coming from spiritually—so it’s largely rhetorical. We both know that how I feel about grace shouldn’t matter if I believe what I say I believe."
CONGRATULATIONS! Back When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, I was ordered into therapy by my Primary as a condition for him continuing to continue my barbiturate pain med. I went through lists and made phone calls. This guy said he was a Believer; I think he was merely supportive of the idea.
It didn't take to many sessions for me to realize he did not understand my Faith journey.
The acceptance of how very little in the life of a Believer is insignificant.
As our society blunders along, this strikes me often.
You are so right. God is good. He supplies us with grace that we don't deserve. We can never do enough or be enough to buy providence. Good luck with the peas. :-)
Amen! Thank you, Pam. 🌿
It's a lovely thoughtful essay, thank you.
Thank you, Leslie! 🌿
What a way to bring WP back. Hope planting the seed of this post was in the same spirit as planting those peas. Looking forward to whatever else comes!
Thanks, Scoot! Definitely feels like the right time to restart. 🌿