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Go with Grace


For the last several days I have been absolutely exhausted, anxious, and just completely on edge. I’ve been snappy and just downright moody. My husband and my kids have taken the brunt of my crazy emotions and my grieving heart. My six year old has an attitude that rivals my own at that age...argumentative, a little back-talky, and often times intentionally pressing buttons. So, she’s naturally been dishing it all right back to me this week. 
I’ve spent so much time this week correcting her for the same things I was doing. It’s definitely like dealing with a miniature version of myself, which if I’m honest, kind of makes me chuckle sometimes. As I am correcting her for grumbling, whining, and complaining, I hear God saying to me “and you’re not?!” 
My daughter has been wanting to plan a day where our family can get together with her best friend’s family and go do something fun. I’ve been saying “we will see” mostly because of her behavior. Eventually, as discipline, I took away her shot at doing that this weekend. But, God. He so convicted me with a verse:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:8
Okay, so, I’m hearing God say “you didn’t deserve good things, but here we are anyway...not because of anything you did, Ashley, but because I love you.” Pure conviction. Sometimes my daughter deserves strict discipline but because I love her, sometimes she will receive grace instead. For two reasons...to show my love for her but more  importantly to demonstrate God’s grace and love for her and for all of us. 
All of us deserve Hell, yet God doesn’t give us all what we truly deserve. That’s mercy...sparing us of something bad. He could have stopped there, but no...He gives us grace. He gives us something super good despite the fact that we don’t even come close to deserving it. His gift of salvation. 

So...I guess I’ve got some planning to do tonight with my daughter’s bestie’s family. I’ll also be thanking God for the mercy and especially for the grace He has shown me.

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