Between a Rock and a Grace Place

Grace is my Word of the Year.  I had initially thought that I would focus on how to give others grace.  I recently read Carol Kent's book, Between a Rock and a Grace Place.  If you don't know Carol's story it is one of heartache.  About a decade ago, her son, Jason, committed murder. Carol's books chronicle their journey through this difficult circumstance and how God has met them every step of the way.

 

What surprised me about Carol's book was that not only does she talk about giving grace to others, but she describes how sometimes we need God's grace to get through the tough stuff of life.  For me this year has had one opportunity after another to extend grace.  Some of this "extending" has stretched me in ways unimaginable.  Some of the "extending" is not done yet.  All of it has been painful.  So maybe it is me that needs a bit of grace to get through all of this.  Not sure.

 

Here are some of the concepts in this book that I needed to hear:

"Compassion and mercy come to me more easily now that I'm a mama with shattered dreams." -Sometimes it is the hard stuff in life that makes us more like Christ.

"When we trust that he is in sovereign control of our hard place, we can press into a grace place where there is rest, peace, and a different kind of contentment."

"Freedom is an inside job."

"Favor and kindness are gifts that keep multiplying because as fast as we splash favor on others, our own supply is replenished in surprising ways."

If you would like to read about Carol's amazing journey check out her books:

When I Lay my Isaac Down

A New Kind of Normal

Between a Rock and a Grace Place