Grace Falls Upon Us

“The joy…comes, rather, from the unexpected grace of allowing such an unremarkable event to fill the soul with such remarkable delight.”—Maria Popova

Grace Falls Upon Us

Reaching into me, grace finds a smallness, grows with water and sun, kindness and attention. Sometimes found in the unlikeliest places, grace nurtures the seed of possibility bestowing hope, rekindling energy. The world tilts a bit when it’s extended—as if a surprise of flowers arrived at your front door. You breathe in, and the air around smells pure and fresh. When grace falls upon us, we feel we have lifts in our shoes.

A few days ago at the grocery store, when the day’s work had been hard, I was face-to-face with a young woman, braided chestnut-colored hair and nose ring. Her mask slipped, and then, lighting up the whole room, a wide, bright smile dazzled radiance. Grace radiating around her as when a shy child smiles. Or, another time, when stuck in traffic, a man in an aviator hat with earflaps driving a beige Toyota lets me in, my car puffing in the frigid temperatures big puffs of cold air. Maybe he read in disjointed Morse Code taps on my steering wheel, “My turn, please.”

Many times a moment of grace occurs when my writing stalls, spinning like a toy top that doesn’t go any place, and, suddenly, the answer appears as divine ordination on the printed page.  Where does it come from? And then I remember Annie Dillard’s words: “A pile of decent work behind him, no matter how small, fuels the writer’s hope, too; his pride emboldens and impels him.” So, maybe it was my re-working that helped, the plodding, rewriting, moving a word here and there as if arranging heavy furniture. Grace often comes when we need it the most.

When I was 14, my Uncle John, editor of the local newspaper, circa 2500, gave me the job of proofreading the bi-weekly newspaper. I didn’t think this entry into Journalism, reading under a microscope all the trajectories of people’s lives–their hopes, dreams, travels across the county, cattle stranded in the river, and worse—would point me in a direction that would change the course of my life, bring some of my happiest moments. When asked about the job, I said at the time I appreciated the extra money and my Uncle’s belief in me. Now, looking back, I know it was something else.

When grace falls upon us, there’s a certain extravagance that is both sweet and tender. We’re touched by a generosity of spirit or heart. A kindred connection felt.  And you know beyond any doubt,  you can love again. –Becky Breed

Writing/Creativity Exercise:

1) Read the online poem “This Morning” by Raymond Carver.

2) Our lives give us many opportunities to see how grace works. Perhaps, its radiance shone when your dog escaped injury walking across a busy highway or when your brother got the last plane seat for the holidays coming out of New York. Maybe grace was operating when someone forgave you.

3) First, make a list of moments in your life where you experienced the gift of grace, where you were moved, amazed, perhaps, grateful. Step back from the experience, and reflect on the physical behaviors felt. Were your eyes glistening? Did you experience an inability to find words? Started singing?

4) Select one of those moments, and capture it in words, painting, in whatever art form that draws you. Let the transformation of the experience speak to you. Now create, tapping into all the creative powers you have.

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