Gracious Goodness
“Grace is a free gift from God, but to receive
a gift you must have open hands.”
Philip Yancey
Grace used to be a popular name, but one that is not often used nowadays. Grace suggests a mode of bearing that is both modest and respectful. To be gracious is such a good quality to have as part of our personality. But, today what has happened to our own sense of grace?
We can see grace in the perfect movement and co-ordination of the practiced dancer. The dancer’s movement and flow is working with rhythm and beauty, as we watch the dance, we are touched by the perfection of their poise and balance. The dancer can reflect such grace in movement, just like the beauty of a swan as it glides effortlessly across the waters of the lake.
“Courage is grace under pressure.”
Ernest Hemingway
In some aspects of our world we can no longer see that grace, but we see brashness, immediacy, no-time-to-wait, a selfie and selfish outlook on the world which demands an instant fulfilment. We cannot say there will be any satisfaction of these desires as they seem to be unlimited and then as one is fulfilled the next is born. Why is that? Could it be because the things that we are seeking from the material world never actually satisfy the inner needs of the soul? Today, greed is marketed as ‘need’, just to make us feel a little better about our actions, otherwise it might be seen as too obviously feeding the ego.
What has happened to the quality of our life? Instant is not a bad thing, but it does become a problem when the expectation of the instant does not materialize and results in frustration or anger. Look at how impatient people become if their emails are slow to load, or if someone is not understanding them (in an instant)!
In some cases we may simply lose the plot altogether and blow our top. For what? Because in the scheme of things, many of these trigger points are minor issues, and a bit of patience would definitely fill in the cracks and help to smooth out the roughness and wrinkles in our relationships. But, instead of patience we lose it, we become angry and the result is broken and strained relationships filled with tension and mis-understandings … and unhappiness.
What happened to the “milk of human kindness”? We could call this compassion. Why is this no longer the ‘norm’ in the world? Has selfishness consumed us so completely? There are some glimmers of hope and goodness in the world too, with acts of generosity and kindness that really touch the heart. We celebrate these events, and often they can go viral on the internet and they remind us of grace. But, why are they the exception rather than the rule?
“One day in God’s grace is equivalent to
a thousand days of striving by your own efforts.”
Joseph Prince
Sometimes we say that we are seeking God’s Grace, but what does that mean? Are we asking for forgiveness or a favour from God? Have you ever wondered about the power of grace? Goodness has its own sense of grace. There is a naturalness in just being graceful. Being in “a state of grace”, we may see this as a very elevated state of being.
Grace, like kindness, goodness, mercy, compassion and benevolence all have their roots in love. And in this sense unconditional love is the greatest healing power. God is seen as the Greatest Power of all. God is Love. That is His grace. Love is the most potent force in the world.
Sometimes grace can save us from our own foolishness, and expressing our meaner character traits. Grace comes through our intuition, it is that voice in our head that advises us to stop and keep our counsel, and not to speak unkindly to someone. Grace senses the need of the other soul, without us consciously processing any information. And we may come to know later when we can see the bigger picture and as we gain the facts, why it was such a good idea to remain silent. And we are relieved that a gracious thought stopped us from being unkind, simply for the satisfaction of our ego.
Just observe from where we are living our life. Are we living from a place of the heart, spirit, love, or are we living from a place of the physical, with body consciousness and limitations and ego?
“Be watchful – the grace of God appears suddenly.
It comes without warning to an open heart.”
Rumi
Have you ever considered what the primary reason is for everyone having a deep remembrance of God? Perhaps, it is when we think about God as that Pure, Supreme Universal Energy, a Loving Being, and as a Living Light, that we are touched by a personal experience which goes beyond our beliefs. When we do not get caught up in any dogma or fearsome images of God, then we instantly are connected to higher frequency thoughts and feelings. God’s vibrations lifts us higher and out of the low energy vibrations in an instant. But, we know it only works in the now and with the positive. The language of God is a pure loving energy, and that Supreme Power connects through pure vibrations.
God is good, and God is the most gracious of all. When we remember that we are essentially love at the heart and good, and God loves us very much we are able to make many positive changes in our life.
It’s time to say ‘gracious goodness’ and not goodness gracious as we do when we our surprised at our own selfish acts.
It’s Time … to emerge the poise of grace from within the soul.
© ‘It’s Time…’ by Aruna Ladva, BK Publications London, UK