I’ve been toying with this question since yesterday…is grace ever grumpy?
Here is my mental picture of grace (or rather, a wife committed to walking in grace):
A very lovely woman, that is glowing, with neat clothes and a pleasant demeanor. And somehow, no matter what is thrown her way, she has a peaceful smile and kind eyes, and she goes about the work she knows she needs to do and she doesn’t complain. She gets up before the sun, and goes to bed long after the day light hours have ended. And she never complains. And nothing ever bothers her. And she sweeps the floor with a smile. And she wipes up peanut butter and jelly with joy. And did I mention that she never complains? And she is not disagreeable even when her opinion isn’t the same as her husbands. She just smiles and follows his lead. Without complaint.
And suddenly, I know I am not ever going to be that way. I’m too much of a mess. My feelings get hurt, I don’t always agree, I don’t always get up early or stay up late to clean the house. I just don’t have it. And somehow, that written description isn’t quite as beautiful as my mental picture of grace. Because, I really think of it as something that is extraordinarily beautiful. But grace is messy and selfless, and it requires me to put myself aside.
I fell asleep thinking about this last night, and woke up a few times still pondering it. You know what I realized…grace is hard. And that makes it more beautiful. The grace that God Himself has extended to us, by sending Jesus, was no small task. And it was not easy. God does grace perfectly, which I cannot do, so it may not have been as “messy” but it wasn’t easy.
In all of our human nature, we are sinners and we make things messy. And sometimes grace is grumpy. Because let’s face it, grace isn’t the easy option. Humility doesn’t come naturally, and no matter how much we have decided to walk in submission to our mates, and honor them by not being contentious, doesn’t mean the practical application comes easy. In fact, it’s a daily choice, sometimes a minute by minute choice. And let’s face it, those are often hard moments, and it can be hard to swallow our opinions…and even harder to swallow our pride. But I believe that the same God that is working in me, convicting me to have grace and bite my tongue, and to walk in submission, is also working in the people around me – my mate included, and He is asking me to trust Him to do the heart-work.
So, do you think grace is ever grumpy?
Regina Walker 