Grace

Grace cannot be understood by any ledger of merits and demerits. It

cannot be held to any patterns of buying, losing, earning, achieving, or

manipulating, which is where, unfortunately, most of us live our lives.

Grace is, quite literally, “for the taking.” It is God eternally

giving away God--for nothing--except the giving itself. Quite simply,

to experience grace you must stop all counting!

The ego does not know how to receive things freely or without logic. It

prefers a worldview of scarcity, or at least quid pro quo, where only

the clever win. It likes to be worthy and needs to understand in order

to be able to accept things. That problem, and its overcoming, is at the

very center of the gospel plot line. It has always been overcome from

God’s side. The only problem is getting us in on the process! That

full inclusion of us is the greatest testimony to God’s humility,

mercy, and love.

                                                                                Richard Rohr

____________________________________

Sunday morning 6 o’clock

sun shining, grace

river sparkling, grace

legs that still work (after all these years), grace

a walk in crisp morning air, grace

a daughter’s love, grace

a granddaughters joyous giggle, grace

a toothy grin, grace

meeting old friends, grace

a smile from a stranger, grace

each day I stumble through life

casually aware of gifts given

struggling (at times)

to accept the Sacred’s many offerings of love

each day I tally things up

and count

count

count

it defies logic

this love I possess

seated deep within

at the deepest reaches of my soul

but there is

again

grace