Give Yourself Grace

I’m in a season of life where I need a lot of grace, yet I realize I’m not always good at giving myself grace.

I’m a firstborn, you see. One of those firstborns who likes her ducks in a row, has a hard time being flexible, and wishes everything in life were black and white and completed, of course.

I like to give myself goals, responsibilities, and even … guilt, but grace? I’m learning.

We must give ourselves grace.

I’m convinced that grace is as necessary
to our lives as air and water.

It is necessary, not just for surviving
but for thriving.

There are times when we need wiggle room in life.

We need room, just to be the imperfect,
needy humans that we are.

…Not in a bad way, of course, but in a realistic way. We need room to admit that we will not always be perfect. Actually we will fall very short, at times, and we need to give ourselves grace.

We need to admit that we won’t get everything done all of the time.
We won’t always be everything we want to be.
We won’t always live up to our own expectations.

We WILL fall short and have extra needs sometimes, and that is okay.

We are humans, relying upon a loving and gracious God to mold us and shape us
into the people He wants us to be.

If you need extra sleep, take it.
If you need more quiet, get it.
If you need to take a break to spend time with God, do it.
If you need to let go of your routine for the day, hack it.
If you need to avoid your “To Do” list, neglect it.

Do what you need to give yourself grace each day.

Grace is activated as we mercifully
enable ourselves to live imperfect
but good lives.

Giving yourself grace might equal:

• Sleeping in
• Ordering out
• Simplifying your task list
• Saying “No” to something
• Accepting a less-than-magazine-cover household appearance
• Taking a break when there’s still much to do
• Canceling an appointment or event

Giving yourself grace is letting go of the way
you think life *should* be
and accepting the way it *must* be.

Give yourself grace today!