Embracing the Grace and Letting Go

Life is a wild ride.  Ups and downs, hard work and coasting, sometimes.  You never can see what's coming around the next bend.

If you had asked me in December where I thought I'd be in six months,this is certainly not the situation I'd have described. 
Living in a friend's townhouse, waiting for it to be sold.  Jumping every time the phone rings, wondering if it will be the call to give us our 60-days notice to get out.  Cleaning out Mom and Dad Stewart's house, preparing for renovations and re-touches to make the upstairs a separate living space for Andrew, William, and I.  Actually getting excited about it. 
In December, I was sure we were going to continue to overspend our budget and end up in debt over our heads - even further than we already were.  Instead, we've been able to pay off more than $15,000 in debts in 2010 - and we're only 1/2 way through May!  Blessing after blessing - many completely unexpected - has arrived in our mailbox and our bank account and paid down credit card, car, and school debts - even with major car repairs and a significant payment of one type or another here and there. 
Things haven't always been easy.  We've had times when the food budget is empty and there are still ten days left in the month.  We've shouldered the disappointment at having to move. Again.  (My 8th move in 3 years!) But we've embraced the Grace after each failure and God is proving himself faithful over and over again as we remain faithful to him.  I've started looking forward to Sundays again.  My patience proves stronger than my anger - and it's all Him.

I think that a huge part of the change we've experienced comes from embracing the grace of God in our lives and letting it spill over into our relationships with people.  When we embrace the grace we're able to let go of hurts and fears, of anger, resentment, bitterness, and hard-heartedness.
When I decided not to be angry or bitter about all of the "shinannigans" at the school where I worked last year, things started falling into place.  I have been given the ability to forgive in what seems like an unforgivable situation.  Because of the Grace.  And in being faithful to that decision to forgive, He has been faithful in pouring out blessing after blessing.

I can only encourage you to Embrace the Grace and Let Go of the Garbage.  It'll work wonders in your life.  It certainly has in mine.