Grace {A Divinely Given Blessing, A Tender Mercy, Elegance}

In seventh grade I had a teacher named Sister Mary Brendan. She may look sweet, but she was a hard ass and something of a nut. She frequently gave the girls hell for trying to shrink our jeans and called one classmate by the wrong name because his parents "named him wrong." What the??? She particularly didn't care for me because I was constantly asking, "Why?" Especially during religion. You don't do that in Catholic school and particularly NOT with Sister Mary Brendan.

Which was why it's a little shocking that this woman changed my life. She said something to the 12-year-old me that hit me like a ton of bricks and then seeped into my pores and has become as much a part of me as my heart – as breathing.

Here is what she said, “In every situation there is Grace. Sometimes it might not seem like it, so you may have to look really deep to find it, but it’s there. Look for it.”

She went on to say that some people might challenge that notion, “Oh yeah? – What about people dying in earthquakes (I grew up in Southern California and we had a lot of them.)? Where is the grace in that?” To which she replied that there are always helpers. There are always people that will leave the comfort and safety of their homes to dig through rubble to help save a person or a dog. And that THAT is what Grace can look like in a tragic situation. Look for it. It’s there.

To me, who was growing up in a dysfunctional home, to hear that Grace could be found in the crazy of my life felt like a life raft and it felt like freedom. It became a game for me to find the Grace – especially in the shit times. I would immediately look to see where I could find Grace. And without fail, I could. Without fail. It's always there.

I’ve spent my whole life since then looking for and finding the Grace. It is so ingrained in my being that it didn’t occur to me that other people don’t do it.

I think that it's also why it’s so natural for me to have such a deep gratitude practice. Every day I have so much to be thankful for. Even during the shit times.

When you are looking for and finding the Grace in every situation, gratitude follows. "Thank you for the helpers.” Like that. [Tweet "When you are looking for and finding the Grace in every situation, gratitude follows. #everydaygrace"]

It is my mission in life to help people reconnect with the Grace in their lives so that they live richer, deeper, more meaningful lives. Without fail. It's always there.

This is the first of 31 {or more} posts that I'll be writing on the topic of Grace. I'll be writing about what Grace means to me and the ways in which I've found it in my life. Please leave a reply any time about what Grace means to you or if you have any questions for me about Grace.