A hibiscus flower in my garden, after a heavy downpourAnd God is able to make all grace abound to you,
so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times,
you may abound in every good work.
- 2 Corinthians 9:8
Journal Entry - May 13, 2011
Today my grandson Elijah turns his six months old.
Of all the character traits I wish to have in my life, grace stands out.
Strong feelings rise to the surface as think of this word. Grace is what found me at a time when I was not looking for it. Grace is what saved me from eternal ruin.
I will be forever grateful for the grace of God that has met me at every turn, sustained me during the long and painful hours of my night seasons, and offered hope when there was nothing left for me to hold on to.
Grace comes in various ways.
Undeserved gift.
Divine favor.
Effortless beauty.
Simple elegance.
Refinement.
A way of escape.
Other qualities associated with grace come to my mind... meekness, gentleness, humility, kindness, compassion.
Grace is definitely a divine character trait.
Jesus is referred to as "the grace of God" in Titus 2:11 -
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people...
In Hebrews 4:16, the throne of God is also called "the throne of grace" where we draw near to receive mercy and find grace in time of need -Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Grace is one of the most beautiful words in the English dictionary.
To be in the presence of beautiful grace... this is one of the reasons I am looking forward to heaven!
God is indescribably beautiful... and for all eternity, we will never tire of gazing at God and the loveliness that surrounds Him.
There will be such unspeakable beauty!
It is my personal belief that our life in heaven will be a day by day journey toward grace!
The deepest desire that I have for myself and for every member of my family is for us to all grow in grace...
And so today, I pour out my heart to God, and declare these blessings for my precious grandson:
Elijah, six months oldMy dear Elijah,
This is my desire for you - may you grow up to be a man of grace.
You will need it in a world of evil, corruption, and greed.
I speak grace to you, dear child.
Grace... not in the way the world misunderstands it: that to be gracious is to be wimpy, weak-willed or lacking in character...
but grace in the sense of Christlike character and inner strength.
Grace ... will not happen by chance... it is learned by a child as he sees it modeled and lived out before his eyes.
May the seed of grace be planted even now in your fresh and fertile heart...
May you know the saving grace of Jesus at an early age... the seedling be watered, carefully tended... then through the years, may it grow up to be a strong tree bearing fruits of grace.
May we who are part of your upbringing make a deliberate effort to cultivate the character of grace in your young heart.
Because there will be mistakes. There will be pain. And many times things will go wrong.
Because this is a fallen world where sin reigns.
But God is a God of grace. He can restore... redeem... and heal what is broken.
That is why I am praying for grace. You will need plenty of it in your life.
We all need grace to learn from our wrong choices.
In spite of the imperfections and the ugliness all around us, I have learned to see life from the perspective of grace.
Thus, I can believe that you will grow up to be a man gracious in speech and manners.
Not crude, or tactless... but a man of honor, good-breeding, integrity and dignity.
I pray that you be given the right parental discipline, and be secure in your parents' love, so that you will not be selfish... grasping... or demanding to always have your way.
May your heart be protected from wounding, that grace may flow out naturally -
your character be genuine,
your goodness unforced,
and your kindness uncontrived.
I declare that:
Acts of mercy and compassion will be a natural part of you.
When provoked, your response will not be harsh or cruel.
When ill-treated, your heart will refuse to be embittered... showing gracious forgiveness instead of keeping a record of wrong things done to you.
May you keep a gracious heart even in the midst of adversity... and be like Joseph who kept himself pure in the midst of temptation.
This does not mean that you will be a doormat, or a pushover, or become gullible... but in grace may you be angry for the right reasons, and learn to judge with righteous judgment!
I bless you today, that as you grow up, you will learn to exhibit grace under pressure... grace to endure... grace to overcome... courage to speak the truth in love... wisdom to make God-honoring choices... inner strength under control.
Not impulsive, or easily angered, or easily carried away by emotions... but open to reason... flexible... respectful... a man of peace.
A tall order, it may seem. But with God's help, all things are possible.
This is my prayer not only for you, but also for me... especially for me...
and also for your father and mother... your uncle and your aunts... your cousin... every member of our family!
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18
To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
2 Peter 3:18
Love always,
Nana
Nana
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
13 comments:
Beautiful, Lidj---You have said it all...There is nothing left to say.
Except, of course, that your grandson is gorgeous.
That's a beautiful prayer for your adorable grandson!
All about children! Each is God's Gift to Himself.
What marvels are in store for them? Hopefully, one of those might be....PEACE!
Dear Lidj,
No wonder that my favorite song is Amazing Grace.
I find myself crying every time I try to sing along. It is so overwhelming.
I also admire your firm way of declaring how your beloved grandson "Full of Hope" shall grow up in glory and wisdom.
I say AMEN to that.
from Felisol
This like your past prayers of blessings for your grandchildren is a treasure they can look back to when they are grown-ups! What a beautiful treasure you are giving them!
The poem "Children Learn What They Live" reflected what was said in our morning fellowship's sermon: "we reap what we sow"...
Back in Nov.2004, my husband bought me another guitar I fell in love with from a music store. My oldest bro. who also loves to play guitar had asked me if I had given a name to this particular guitar as he usually did to remember God's goodness in his life. I never thought of doing that but had a quick answer to him though. I told him I couldn't think of any name but "Grace." Knowing His grace is so undeserved yet it is His grace that saves us.
Titus 3:7 - "Being made right with God by His grace, we could have the hope of receiving the life that never ends."
Right there, God gave me a song in my heart, the Chorus part I wanted to share with you sister Lidj:
"Your grace...raining down on me
Full of Your love and mercy
Your grace...and it's free
But the cost was priceless...that saved me..."
Glory be to God forever. God bless and love to you sister. May you always have wonderful days, remaining strong in the Lord's mighty power! That is a beautiful pic of your flower. It reminds me of my mom who loved flowers and could grow anything when she was here. Take care sister. I'm going back to work this Thu. after a month leave, but PM shift instead of nights. I had never felt so heavy knowing I am going back to a battle...But I'm always ready. Thank you for the much-needed prayers. Praying for you also.
Dear Lidj, Thank you for this prayer for your grandson! I'd love to make it my own for my grandchildren. I've not yet put into words the prayers I have for them, but as I actually "see" your prayer, I know there's a time when such petitions need to be documented for others. So, I'm convicted and, by the Lord's strength, will follow throught.
By the way, you probably know this, but our youngest daughter is named Grace Victoria! Victorious Grace!! And the Lord's grace shines through her life in many ways, such as being an oncological nurse.
She turns 30 this year, and through your example, I commit myself to write out my heart's cry for her. Love you sweet friend, Linda
Grace is a wonderful gift to ask for when praying for our children and grands. I, too, am thankful for God's grace. Elijah is adorable!
Since I have many grandchildren of my own-I understand the depth of love that a grandmother feels for her grandchildren- I felt that depth while reading the prayer for your precious little grandson....may the Lord Bless and Keep Him always. What a blessed child he is to have a nanna that loves the Lord as you do!!
The depth of your desire for your grandson is inspiring. Thank you for sharing your heart's cry and prayer.
My precious son turns 11 this week. I've taken the time to pray your prayer out loud to our Great God for my child. Thank you for your beautiful thoughts and words. It has helped me rejoice in what God has done in Tommy and better pray as his future unfolds.
this is a beautiful post....your little grandson is a charmer and your prayer for him is what I want for my girls. Grace makes all the difference. I'm so thankful for His grace. Hugs to you Lidj. Always stand strong....Nikki
What a beautiful prayer of grace for your grandson. How blessed he is to be born into your family, a family that loves God and strives to put Him first. What better gift can you give a child than the knowledge of His Creator.
Thanks for always sharing your heart, Lidj. You are a very special person.
Blessings,
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I read this - and it is the prayer for each of my sons and myself, too. Simply Beautiful, So Powerful! Grace is a beautiful word - but is deceptive in that beauty - because it is a word requiring self-control, courage, strength and conviction! I pray that my sons have a heart to seek out Grace, that they see the Grace in their Dad and I magnified and that our failures diminish beside it, and I pray that they live Grace, even if they do so awkwardly at times. This message is the lesson I needed magnified in this particular season!
Happy 6th months to your nephew, too! He is handsomely adorable!
That was my comment up above....I was signed in in another account.
I'm blogging again, a little. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
Praying this lovely prayer, crafted by you for my son who is 11 today.
Amy
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