Grace = Ease

Dear Friend:

How was your Thanksgiving? I pray filled with love and joy. Sometimes love hurts. Why is that you? Because some siblings, parents and friends have made decisions that they are paying consequences for. When we love them and don’t live in their shoes it makes it hard to like them. With the Christmas season coming these relationships get in our face and seem to be screaming at us. But really it is their problem and not ours to fret over.

Grace-translated from the Greek means; the divine influence on the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude, acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, liberality, joy, pleasure, thank.

St. Paul greets the Ephesians saying this “I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:2

Let me rewrite the verse with the definition of grace inserted. The divine influence on the heart-gratitude, acceptance, benefit, favor, gift, liberality, joy, pleasure, thankfulness, peace are poured into our lives by God our Father our Master, Jesus Christ.

What does that mean in relation to those people or things that take up our thoughts every new day? It means that we have the power from Jesus to block those things out and think about more beneficial thoughts such has the hope we have when Christ returns. This capability is poured into us when we know Jesus. This all unfolds right in this Christmas season. The plan of God was perfect. To be born in a lowly place not as a King would be born, but as a servant , so he can identify and be with us. To leave Heaven, a great perfect place, to greet you with GRACE AND PEACE. We can not earn this grace and we certainly did not deserve it, but we can RECEIVE IT AND BELIEVE IT! Have you done that personally? Where you have taken a moment to receive God’s grace, which is Jesus in the flesh. Have you taken the time to ask this Baby Jesus to make a home in your heart?

GRACE=EASE

THIS EQUATION DOES NOT MEAN “EASY STREET.” IT MEANS “EASE OF MIND.” I imagine you made need “EASE OF MIND” right now. Pray with me: Sweet Baby Jesus I receive your grace right now. Help me to see relationships and circumstances in the light of your GRACE. Jesus please ease my mind with this truth. Thank you. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Grace has eased my mind,

Elaine