March 2011: Gracious Living

I love when you read something and it just calls out, "this is for you!!!".  Amidst all of the craziness over here, I have really been trying harder to take some time to be immersed in some good reading, for a few minutes at least.  I have been rereading part of a book that I just loved cover to cover entitled "Justified by Faith" by Stephen D. Nadauld.  It explores in depth such grandiose principles from Romans 5:1-2, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God".

I decided to reread the chapter called, "Amazing Grace".  This morning I read the following paragraph and it sang to my soul a most pleasing and peaceful melody.

"[G]racious living" means living in acknowledgment of the grace of God.  It means living without fear of justice or being anxious over uncertainty and therefore living unhurried, untrammeled, and unafraid.  It promotes an attitude of love and forgiveness because we are loved and can be forgiven.  It is living as a conduit, with the grace of God flowing in to us from heaven and out from us to our fellow man.   Graciousness is an attitude toward others stemming from our recognition that, having received grace form the Savior, we should extend it to others.  One who is gracious is kind, forgiving, and makes others feel at ease."

This is how I want to live my life.  I want to live my life as an affirmation that I receive this grace, this enabling power of Christ's Atonement every single day.  I don't want to be anxious, fearful, or hurried which feelings seem to cause such chain reactions that I often come to regret by the end of the day.  When I live a gracious life I feel Christ's strength and power as I display uncharacteristic patience, humor, and love to life's daily inconveniences and struggles.  How I desire to be a conduit of his divine love, especially to my children.  This is how I want to live my life.