that washes away
the accusing whispers that dance in the darkness
and hide behind the mirror
and say, “You need to be thinner
and thinner
and thinner.”
Grace…
is the light that calls you
toward something so good that you’re scared to trust it.
You might even ignore it at first,
thinking it’s not for you.
Instead,
you try to get better
and fix things on your own.
You try to be strong.
Confident.
Perfect.
But hours of 3:00 a.m. sit-ups,
calorie counting,
dieting,
scrutinizing,
and hiding,
will make a person fall.
Yet Grace…
is the mighty hand that will catch you
and promise you
that you don’t have to be
perfect.
That you are loved
exactly
the way you are.
Grace…
is the gentle voice that lifts your chin,
tugs at your heart,
and encourages you to believe.
And when you do,
Grace rains
and pours
and washes away
moments,
days,
years,
of worry and trying,
trying,
trying,
on your own.
Grace…
restores your dreams,
fills your heart,
melts your fear,
and opens your eyes
so that you are once again able to see the beauty
in the world
and in yourself.
Grace…
is the free gift from God
that has the power to heal,
to renew,
to deliver,
no matter what your struggle is.
If only you’ll let it.
Grace…
is the cross.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. – Ephesians 2:8
Thank you, God, for your grace that set me free from my struggle with an eating disorder those many years ago.
What has grace set you free from?
Leave a Comment
Kristen - Moms Sharpening Moms says
Genny,
What a gift you have with words! Thank you for sharing your heart and your struggles with us, and thank you for the reminder that it’s only by God’s grace we are healed!
I have been set free from several things, one being the disease to please. I used to run myself into the ground trying to make everyone else happy. I generally couldn’t say no, and if by chance I did I worried I had offended the person. While I love to bless others in one way or another (and still don’t like telling others no), God has taught me that pleasing Him should be my priority concern. Goodness knows He is much easier to please than people! 🙂
Claire says
Genny,
What a heart-stopping post! I loved this. God’s love and grace has set me free from so much I can barely begin to comprehend it…it’s such a blessing to me, and such an honour to be one of his daughters!
Cxx
Mary @ Passionate Perseverance says
Genny,
Such beautiful words. I have printed them and they now are next to my mirror so that I might be reminded everyday of the grace of my Saviour. I pray He will continue to walk with me through the daily struggle of life.
Blessings and Grace to you…
Ann Voskamp@Holy Experience says
These words are truly beautiful… because they are Truth.
Startling wonder….. *grace*.
Thank you, Genny…. God uses you to bless many today!
All is grace,
Ann
Paula Jean says
Thank you, Genny.
Kerry says
Genny Thank you. I am been experiencing this wonder we call *Grace.* Sometimes I am not sure how to handle it..as amazing as it all is.Miracles I have received due to my health..are for God’s Glory. I am looking up on my wall where the words hang *Amazing Grace* It is something I am trying to wrap my head and heart around the gifts given…
Thank you so much for blessing me today with your writing.
Blessings,
Kerry
Tammy@If Meadows Speak says
Genny thanks! We never have enough grace.
“What has grace set you from?” It’d be from: ME. That old self buried under HIM, in grace. And NO digging up allowed. 😉
Tammy@if meadows speak..
deb @talk at the table says
Genny,
This was so so perfect.
Because you weren’t saying if not for the grace of
you were saying , because of
beautiful
Corinne says
This was such a delight to read – thank you! I could read this every day and not tire of it, because they are reminders that we all need.
Holley Gerth says
Genny, you and your words are all bravery and beauty. Thank you for sharing your loveliness with us here on these pages!
Mel's World with Melissa Mashburn says
I love this Genny!!! Thank you so much for sharing the words that so many of us needed to hear today!
Kathleen_overby@verizon.net says
Oh those voices. Thx for encouragement.
LauraLee Shaw says
Genny, the Lord picked up your pen and wrote His notes of grace for the benefit of our ears. Wow. Thank you for touching my heart this morning.
Debbie says
Oh Genny, this is beautiful. How thankful I am for God’s awesome grace. And what a gentle reminder of how that translates into my daily life too.
Thank you and may the Lord bless you,
Debbie
FaithBarista Bonnie says
“Grace
Grace is… :: Genny Heikka says
[…] January 9th, 2010 When I found out I had the exciting opportunity to write a guest post for (In) Courage today, I wasn’t sure what to write […]
Ella says
This resonated, so, so, so much. Thank you. x
The girl in the mirror… :: Genny Heikka says
[…] As I mentioned in my Not Perfect post, this topic has been on my heart a lot lately for a variety of reasons. And while I don’t have all the answers, I do know from my own journey that there’s hope. […]
Dear Chihuahua of Fear… :: Genny Heikka says
[…] worked for a while: your yipping and yapping–loud and persistent–making me worry I wasn’t perfect enough, or good enough, or qualified […]