Author's Note:
Giving grace is something I used to think came to me effortlessly. It's also something I used to think I received effortlessly, like it was an inherent thing that was so easy to recognize, an ebb and flow in my day to day. But WOW was I seriously mistaken. Saying "it's okay" to people who have wronged or hurt you is not giving grace because deep inside you're still clinging to that pain. You could say grace and forgiveness go hand in hand and in that order. You need grace to forgive. Just recently have I realized that for so long I have been withholding grace from so many people. Since that's that case, that means I have been withholding unforgiveness as well - something I am not proud of. I don't hold unforgiveness in the category of strength like the world would want me to do. Grudge-holding is very IN right now but I'm not about that life, nor am I about the world.
As we try every day to live like Christ let us remember that we are saved by GRACE through FAITH (Ephesians 2:8-9). Since we are saved by grace, we should want to give grace to others as Christ gave and still gives us grace consistently. That's one way we can be a witness to those who, these days, experience SO little of it.
And remember to receive grace, too. It can be hard when we know we don't deserve it, but that's the point, right? We don't deserve grace but God gives it to us anyway. We should do the same to others and should receive it just the same. No pity parties. Give, receive, move on.