How Do You Receive Grace?

In book club, on Friday we asked the question — what does Grace mean to you? With a cross-section of people, you can expect that we all have a different way of viewing this word. For me it means this:

It’s a gift we get when our prayers are answered. I feel like I am in a safe space, being hugged and supported. I also think of elegance, kindness and compassion. It also makes me think about surrendering in a gentle and humble way.

It seems that we can all find some words, but that there isn’t a definitive answer, which I love. Perhaps because Grace is a feeling? A feeling of being loved?

A phrase comes to mind when I think of something happening to another — there, but for the Grace of God go I. This conjures up feelings of being thankful and blessed.

I’m sure for many the song Amazing Grace will come to mind. For me, it’s Neil Diamond — Pretty Amazing Grace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Nw1EPp7bQ

How do you receive grace?

When I asked this question of me, the only things that came were that I needed stillness, acceptance, no judgement and an open heart. I wonder how you do? I think it must be different for all of us.

I think that until you know what it means for you, it will remain difficult to know how you receive it.

How others define Grace

These are the definitions from friends — what would you add?

Mm, as an ex ballet dancer, Grace means how beautifully a body can express feelings without words in the dance, and alternatively great thankfulness.

Good question. To me, the words Grace and love are interchangeable. I think of it as a feeling of complete tranquillity and calm, and knowing that you are not alone, and you are part of something wonderful. This morning, I was cuddling Luna, and all of a sudden, I felt a fusion of our energies. I was able to communicate with her, soul to soul, and assure her of my love and support always. To me, that was a true state of Grace. I still feel the vibes from it a couple of hours later.

For me, it’s the word that describes a sacred connection.

Grace would mean prayers, but I’m not very religious, so to me it means style classy elegant genteel and kind

To me, as a Christian, it is the free and unmerited will of God, e.g. in blessings and the promise of salvation.

Contentment.

To me, it means serenity and elegance.

The state of “realizing” we are connected to and in flow with the divine-sacred-whole-authentic-spiritual-beyond physical. For me all this is encompassed in my understanding of the word God, to sacred.

To some/many Grace is tied to Christianity. I don’t know about that. I know I can see something in nature and feel gratitude and remember in a flash that I am always living in a state of Grace. I think we all are but that often we forget. We get caught in the busyness of the physical world, stuck in mental or emotional stress and in physical pain.

When in a state of Grace, we move with serenity and elegance. We are able to say the words others need to heal, we are able to be present.

Grace, to me, means utter acceptance, calm and a clear feeling of being utterly loved and yes, great thankfulness.

A space to be love.

I love the question, Dale! Also the word. For me, surrender to what is (in a positive way), elegance; shades of authenticity and being one’s best self from a soul perspective; beauty, harmony, being in alignment; the opposite of ‘crass’ (could not think of a word); calm. At peace with oneself.

For me, it is a reflection of love, compassion, and kindness.

The vehicle for receiving.

Grace. I have always loved the word, the name and the experience. In a state of Grace, circumstances disappear, and I experience a limitless, totally loving support- often in the most surprising ways.

Grâce (and I love the fact that my autocorrect just put a hat on it) is a moment of the divine. Nothing to do with religion for me. It means ‘thanks to’ in French, and that’s the deep feeling. Gratitude. Being one with all that is. Release.

Peace.

When you peel away all the extra layers of stuff and what’s left is acceptance, truth and beauty. That, for me, is Grace.

For me, Grace means serenity, respect, peace, harmony, compassion, gratitude, acceptance and authenticity.

How do you receive Grace? Good question… I sometimes do ask to receive the strength and Grace to get through something, so I guess I have received it in the form of an energetic power from a source higher than myself.

Questions for your journal

• What does Grace mean to you?
• Where does Grace show up in your life?
• Think of three gifts that you feel have been given from Grace and consider the impact these have made on your life
• How can you be more open to Grace?

And that’s it a day to ponder what Grace is and how you receive it.

Originally published at https://daledarley.com on June 29, 2020.