Receiving Grace

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

—Psalm 34:1 KJV

I couldn’t even blame this one on hormones. It was just too much, happening too fast, in too condensed of a time period, with too many people determined to get on my last good nerve.

I’ll give it to you in two-word snippets. And while I’m running down my list, see if any empathy starts to find its way to your heart. Because I’m convinced if there is one way all us girls are alike, it’s in the reality that life isn’t always so pretty.

Computer crash. Birthday forgotten. Whiny child. Stained pants. Pounds gained. Feelings hurt. Tempers short. Dog fleas. Pantry ants. Throbbing head. Interrupted nap. Sibling spat. Time out. Messy car. Gas prices. Urgent errands. No time. Doctor appointment. Waiting room. Waiting room. Waiting room. Misplaced belonging. Futile search. Hand wringing. Messy kitchen. Chores undone. Laundry piles. Paper piles. Dinner flop. Early bedtime.

Sheer exhaustion.

And yes, all that and more happened on my birthday. And all the girlfriends sighed a unified, “Have mercy.”

I really wish I could put a godly spin on how I reacted in these situations. I would love to share how I smiled and remained calm and didn’t yell at those I love and didn’t pout about the forgotten birthday. I would love to be able to say I took the high road and handled everything with grace as my little halo shined.

In the midst of my mess, God is there.

But I’m afraid only one word describes my overall attitude: ugly. And when my ugly comes out, I am so often tempted to think God leaves me. I wouldn’t blame Him. Who wouldn’t want to get away from someone with an ungrateful heart and a stinky attitude?

But God is too full of grace to walk away. Grace doesn’t give me a free pass to act out how I feel, with no regard for His commands. Rather His grace gives me consolation in the moment, with a challenge to learn from this situation and become more mature in the future.

Grace is the sugar that helps the bitter pills of confession and repentance go down without choking. That’s why the writer of Hebrews says, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Grace is the reason I can go to God quickly, immediately—before I’m cleaned up—and boldly ask for His help. In the midst of my mess, God is there.

When I am short-tempered and flat-out grumpy, I often don’t feel God. But the reality is, He is with me. All I have to do to sense His presence is to acknowledge His presence, ask for His help, and make the choice to praise Him despite my feelings.

Though praise is not often the first or even the tenth thing we naturally think about when the messy realities of life hit, if we keep praise in the forefront of our minds it will become easier and easier to make that choice. Just like any other discipline, practicing it over and over will help it to become more natural. I can become a woman whose heart declares, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

No, life isn’t always pretty. That’s a given. But we can have a glimmer of hope that it is possible to make wise choices with our thoughts, actions, and reactions. These choices involve getting honest with ourselves and learning—sometimes over and over—the power of praise. Especially when the uglies come knocking.

Lord, thank You that You are with me—even when my ugly side comes out, even when I’m a mess, even when I don’t feel You with me. Thank You for Your grace, Your help, and Your forgiveness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.