Extending Grace

In the Christian tradition, grace is a spontaneous gift from God.  Grace is the generous charity that forgives the sinner, grace is the empty seat at God's table always waiting for us, with no question of worthiness.

Grace, in the human sense, is defined as courteous goodwill.  This is the grace I am talking about.

How do we go about extending grace to others?  It is extremely simple, and terribly difficult all at the same time.  The acts are simple, the emotional discipline difficult.

What are physical ways to extend grace?  That meme that offends you?  Just keep scrolling without comment.  A family member says something thoughtless?  Let it go.   A car cuts you off in traffic?  Say a prayer that the person pays better attention so that they don't get in an accident.

The cashier or person bagging groceries is slow?  Say a prayer while you wait patiently.  An older person is in your way?  Take deep breaths and be thankful you can still move fast.

It is so easy to get caught up in the supposedly necessary fast pace of modern life.  But where are we all going?  This life always ends in death.  Between birth and death we can hurry, and be aggravated, and decide people have all kinds of devious and unkind motivations, or, we can slow down, take our time, and extend grace.

What you did or didn't do on any given day is unlikely to become part of recorded history for future generations to study.  But the people in your world will benefit today and every day you extend grace to them.