The Gray of Grace

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:16

Hi Church,

I went on a walk with my dear friend, Angie, earlier this week. We traipsed through the forest at upper Lithia as thoughts and questions poured out of me. It was a sacred walk- a time in safety and friendship to share the real struggles of life. At one moment, after processing a particularly messy situation I have been navigating in my family and how desperately I want a resolution, my friend looked at me and said these words.

“Life is lived in the gray.” 

Gray. Not Black and white. 

Ooohf, how our brains are so trained to think- “good, bad, black, white”! When I fall prey to this instinctual bent to look for black and white I find myself more brittle, less able to flex, less able to truly see the person in front of me- looking for correct outcomes and more easily judging- rather than celebrating process, holding space, or staying in the tension. 

Sometimes we so badly want absolutes- especially in seasons of grief, turmoil, uncertainty, and change. It’s natural, because we feel safer in the black and white. We want relief from the TENSION. Gray is messy- it requires us to decipher nuance, it requires intention and specific wisdom. 

On this walk, I felt Jesus put His finger on the statement “life is lived in the gray.”  Angie was still talking, but I was encountering Him. I saw the word GRACE, in a vision spelled out in front of me. Then I heard Jesus pronounce “GRACE” and inside of it I heard the word “gray.” Something deep in my being resonated. “Gray-ce…” I said audibly…

The Gray of Grace. 

Being able to navigate the gray is a manifestation of true Grace in our lives.

Whatever is going on in your world right now- in your mind and heart, body, your family, our government, your work, our schools, your relationships… I pray the supernatural touch of Jesus to flood your being with His divine Grace. That we would be people who live out the “gray” moments with access to powerful grace that strengthens us to keep going and to discern well. A grace that proves it’s not our own strength, but a divine Helper who empowers us with what we need to stay present through the tension. 

I pray that you would experience a deep breath of His grace today for any gray area you may be walking through.

I love you church family!

Niesje