I was intrigued and at once argumentative with myself today when I saw a bumper sticker on the back of a pickup truck.
Simply put it was GRACE HAPPENS, green letters on a white background. My first reaction was phht…as Shit Happens, but grace certainly does not. Grace has alot of definitions, more so than I called to mind before I let my fingers do the walking online. Fortunately it doesn’t have as many meanings as Aloha but here goes:
Definition of GRACE
1a : unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification b : a virtue coming from God c : a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace
2a : approval, favor <stayed in his good graces> b archaic : mercy, pardon c : a special favor : privilege <each in his place, by right, not grace, shall rule his heritage — Rudyard Kipling> d : disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency e : a temporary exemption : reprieve
3a : a charming or attractive trait or characteristic b : a pleasing appearance or effect : charm <all the grace of youth — John Buchan> c : ease and suppleness of movement or bearing
4—used as a title of address or reference for a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop
5: a short prayer at a meal asking a blessing or giving thanks
6 plural capitalized : three sister goddesses in Greek mythology who are the givers of charm and beauty
7: a musical trill, turn, or appoggiatura
8a : sense of propriety or right <had the grace not to run for elective office — Calvin Trillin> b : the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful
Now having played the piano, I forgot about number 7 but I’ll skip this one as I don’t think the bumper sticker had anything to do with a musical trill.
I’ll have to don my Christian headpiece for a moment, *forms quick tinfoil hat, places on head* to channel my inner Methodist. It’s a bit dusty but I can recall enough to form an opinion. I’ll forsake my other tinfoil hat with a pout that I won’t be discussing definition 4, unless someone wants to call the Witqueen “Your Grace”
Anyone? No? Ok moving on.
When I saw the bumper sticker I wanted to find the owner and explain that “grace” certainly not does not just happen. I’m also a bit miffed that the definition demands that “grace” itself is a divine assistance to humans from God. But like the bible the dictionary is just another book developed by the same human race, so in all fairness there are some things accepted because they are written down, without question by those that ascribe to it. Wait did I just infer I don’t believe in the dictionary? Well, at least the dictionary changes over time with the times as cultural and society demands. Fortunately other documents are held to their intent as written including holy words and our Constitution whether we agree with it or not.
But for me, grace is a learned skill, but it isn’t one that gets better with experience. If you are of the praying type, the one thing you have to learn (remember I have my Christian hat on atm) is that when one is asking God for assistance, one said Divine Creator does have a sense of humor. If you find yourself asking for guidance, don’t do this to yourself: “Dear God, Please give me strength to get through this. Amen” God will immediately give you seven more challenges to make you stronger. He’s funny that way. Instead opt for the more divine: “Dear God, Please give me grace to get through this. Amen” See what you did there? According to Merion, Webster and the like, you need his divine interference to give you the ability to weather your troubles without asking for something you already have (strength) and haven’t employed on your own.
Eventually I tried to locate where this Grace Happens bumpersticker came from. At best it may be from a addiction site, I didn’t see the actual sticker I saw today. But as addiction is a struggle, so is having to ask for grace and not only asking for it, but being able to live with the consequences.
Face it, we’re only human. We have internal struggles, weakness, imperfections; we take a lot on being top of the food chain. Some people can’t even handle eating meat, while others like me can’t bear eating most cooked vegetables. Throw succotash on my plate or a lima bean, and I won’t say grace, no how, no way, I’m not thankful.
Sometimes problems are just too big for the everyday human to handle, if you look outside the scope of your own little world. We get on our bandwagons, blogs, social media sites, and because we have the ability to now instantly voice our thoughts online, (because who really took the time to write to the editor of their newspaper and wait for it to be published back in the day), we can add our voice to the cacophony online and if we’re lucky get a heated thread going. Inflame your neighbor! Start a revolution, Troll for the win! Gratz!
The problem is, everyone is talking, no one is listening and mayhem is abounding.
The economy is in shambles, the government really doesn’t have a clue (vote Ron Paul) and I think in the great big scope of things, it wasn’t our intent to end up this way. That’s the shit that happens, on the road to good intentions. But again, that stupid road always leads to hell. Why? Did we miss a right hand turn at logic and sanity? Can’t we get a divine GPS that calls out from the sky, “RECALCULATING” to give us a bit of clue? Or is it this damn Free Will that was bestowed on us that the creator won’t mess with, just so we learn our own lessons.
If we don’t learn our lessons, and make the same mistakes over and over and we don’t have the fortitude to ask for grace, then grace comes in another format, the coups de grâce. This of course is from the French literally meaning, stroke of mercy but with a finality that isn’t in our best interest. But beside some good crusty bread and some wine, I’ll leave the French be, c’est la vie.
I would be lying if I said I don’t periodically ask for grace. I do. These are very trying times, but in all fairness, the world has been since the first amoeba fought for its spot in the primordial goo that formed this world. We live on earth, not Utopia, and as a race we put too much on ourselves looking for a perfect set of circumstances that we can all abide and live by. We have to be thankful that life is cyclical, and the only thing constant is change. But I hope for all of you to have the grace and forbearance to get through your challenges, and realize how empty of a life it would be if it were perfect. Grace is finding that ability to be content while we work through life. With grace comes peace. With peace we find purpose. This after all is the meaning of life.
“I do not at all understand the mystery of grace- only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us” A. Lamont
i was naked when i wrote this 