Grace For Grumpy Days

Grace for Grumpy Days

My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.

I knew before we’d even arrived at the park that it was too much. We’d had a series of late nights, and we were all feeling slightly out of sorts, but I didn’t want to cancel the playdate. I hadn’t seen Beth in a long time, and I really wanted to catch up on her recent adventures. It was a lovely day to play at the park, and lovely days can be hard to come by in late autumn.

After trying to gently redirect grumpy children several times in a variety of ways, I gave up. Smiling ruefully at Beth, I apologized and said that we simply needed to leave and make plans to try it again on another day.

This is the thing: we are human. And our humanness has a tendency to show up in a spectacular way when we are tired, hungry, stressed, or stretched a bit too thin. That is where God’s grace comes in—for me, for Beth, for our children. I sent a quick text that night apologizing again and explaining that my children had been stretched too thin—and that I had unfairly tried to pull off one more activity when I knew I should cancel. Beth was gracious in her response, and we both moved past a tough day with nothing further to be said.

I am not a perfect friend. In fact, I am a deeply imperfect friend—I forget important dates, I say the wrong thing, I get grumpy, I mess up in a multitude of ways. Because I’m a bit of a hot-mess friend, I’ve learned to reach quickly for grace—both for myself and others. It’s in our weaknesses that Jesus shines, because he gets the credit and the glory, and grace is one of the greatest gifts he gives us and that we can give others.

— Julie

— Today’s Act of Friendship —

We all have bad moments, bad days, bad weeks, and sometimes, bad months. Show grace to yourself and others in moments of weakness.