From the desk of Grace Lange,
So the word grace is a very familiar one to me…
Besides the fact that it is my name, I have been hearing the word grace my entire life through scripture and in church…
I always wondered what my name really meant, and why grace was such an important thing.
The actual definition of grace is simple elegance or refinement of movement. The Christian definition being the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.
Both definitions relate back to the idea that we are all given this grace from God that helps us simplify and slow down our lives so we are able to live in peace.
Now, I have spoken on this topic time and time again, but I still struggle to give myself grace when things don’t go quite as planned….
SOMEONE NAMED GRACE SHOULDN’T STRUGGLE WITH THIS… RIGHT?!
I am a VERY futuristic thinker, and if I could have every last second of my life planned out with the exact time I will do something… I would.
If you ever meet me in person, ask me what my future wedding will be like…
I will probably tell you every last detail, and I am not even engaged… (my boyfriend thinks I am crazy LOL)
But, this futuristic mindset I have has played a huge part into my struggle with giving myself grace, and I have had to learn how to take a step back and know that I am truly not in control…
… And if things don’t go quite as planned, everything will be okay, and I will make it through.
Giving yourself grace really ties back into perfectionism and pressure.
I have ALWAYS put this extreme pressure on myself to be the absolute best at everything I did, and when it didn’t happen, I felt like a complete failure…
Every. Single. Time.
It is a constant battle I fight everyday, as I have to remind myself that perfect isn’t possible, and stressing about little things isn’t worth it.
I have had to give myself grace in my areas of worry and doubt.
Here are 4 things I tell myself on the daily:
- BE PATIENT – I pray for patience towards myself and others. It is not realisitc to get everything I want right now… and it is not realisic to expect that from others. If you struggle with this… Ask God to give you patience.
- DON’T TAKE YOURSELF SO SERIOUSLY – Guys…. life is actually way too short to take things so serious. I love to have fun, but I can also be an intense person, and sometimes it has a tendency to backfire on me… Ask God to help you laugh a little today.
- REST DANG IT, JUST REST!!!! – I hate resting. I was raised to not rest. My family still doesn’t rest. The idea of not accomplishing something while “resting” has not ever been a thing in my life, and that’s how I became burnt out by age 20… I have realized that in order to be able to be my best self, and continue to work hard, I NEED to allow myself to take a break and just be. It does not make me weak…. Ask God to give you rest.
- HAVE A LITTLE FREAKIN’ FUN;) – Like I said earlier, life is wayyyy to short to take things so serious, and life is also too short to not have any fun. If you aren’t enjoying anything about your day or about your job, try adding a little fun in. You’ll be surprised how the people around you act when you bring fun into your work or your home…. Ask God to give you joy.
Giving yourself grace and allowing yourself to rest can be one of the hardest things to do…
Especially when we live in a culture where over-working is glorified and resting is looked down upon.
It is also important to note that resting can look different for everyone…
For instance, I don’t ever take naps… not that I don’t want to, but resting to me is spending time with my friends or family… or enjoying a nice cup of coffee early in the morning..
Did you know that the average person should have around 10 hours of rest time in a day?
Those 10 hours include sleeping, exercising, and anything that doesn’t involve working.
How will you rest today?