Some people come upon grace rather, well, gracefully. They have that Thomas Kincaid glow about them, and you get the sense that even if they have skeletons in their closets, they’re filed away alphabetically, in Rubbermaid totes.
I’m not one of those people.
I tend to be oblivious to grace until I stumble headlong and fall flat on my face. It’s only when I’m on the ground, down for the count, that I recognize the unexpected beauty amid the brokenness. And as much as I’m smarting over the fall, I owe something to the pain and the downright clumsiness that brought me here in the first place.
From this vantage point, stubbed toe and all, I recognize that grace is all around, if only my eyes are open to see it. So this year I want to embark on a journey toward grace, intentionally embracing the moments of God’s undeserved favor, both in Scripture and in my own life.
I invite you to join me on this adventure—this messy but ultimately beautiful adventure—down this path God calls grace.
Stephanie
“Break us with Thy grace.”
—Donald Barnhouse
Stephanie Rische 
This phrase, “And as much as I’m smarting over the fall, I owe something to the pain and the downright clumsiness that brought me here in the first place” jumped out at me while reading. How accurately stated and profoundly true. Pain is not a part of our lives for mundane purpose of a routine but rather to bring us to that place where we realize pain is not the end all. It is to grow us, reform us, and all that is done through His precious Grace that is freely offered to us. That moment of “stubbing our toe” can be the moment that changes our lives if we are open to it. Your candid writing is refreshing and I find it greatly encouraging as I am sure many other people who both know you and read your writing are encouraged as well. Keep on. His grace is astounding and lavish.
Thank you so much! I love your description of grace: astoundindg and lavish. Amen!
You’ve touched on the Law (stubbing a toe) and the Gospel (God’s unmerited love and mercy called Grace) in a nutshell–I love the title of your blog! What we fail to do, our gracious God does for us! Thanks for following “What’s The Good Word?”. Even though our big toes may hurt….:)
Thanks, Laura! Nice to find another stubbed toe friend. 🙂
🙂
Stephanie, I am absolutely mesmerized by your posts. I love every one of them and can identify with so many of your thoughts and experiences!! Thank you for being God’s tool!
On another note, can I send you an email some time with some publishing questions?
Thanks!
Kathy
I love the phrase “stubbing my toes on grace” thanks for the image….