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Most Importantly, Show Grace
Whatever you do today, this is your most important act
Every once in a while, a sentence takes over a story—one line that speaks a thousand words.
It’s the moment that stops you in your reading tracks and tells your brain to stop seeking volume (hit a goal, read more or finish this article) and go deeper with what you just read.
It’s the moment when you remember that quality matters over quantity.
I read one of those lines this morning.
Most importantly, I was shown grace. (from Appreciating Grace, by Stephanie Wilsey)
In this story, Stephanie shares about a particularly trying day that could have been made worse by the responses and interactions of others but was made tolerable and joyful because she was shown grace.
I remember moments of grace in my life and moments when grace could have saved the day, but it was not chosen
I’ll never forget her name. Elsie was one of our favorite nurses. She was young and so sweet. She couldn’t heal my son of biliary atresia, she hadn’t performed the seven-hour surgery that saved his life, but she did her great thing for me.
Every morning when she was on duty, she made Ryan’s crib because she knew I liked it neat. She carefully tucked the corners, folded his blankets, and arranged the baby mirror and the few toys he had. It was a small semblance of normalcy in what felt like a world of chaos and madness.
She marked my heart with her small act of kindness.
And I remember not-so-gracious moments, too, like the lady at the health food store who put gummies and nuts in containers with spoons on a table at eye level for a toddler and then scolded my 3-year-old for scooping some gummies into his mouth.
As I wrestled my purchases and wrangled two toddlers away from her temptation table, she snidely remarked, “Have a good day, Mom.” I’ll never forget the way she sneered her words and emphasized “mom” as if it were a dirty word.
