Grace and Love

Last updated on: May 14, 2013 at 6:16 am by Elizabeth Nordquist

Grace and Love 2013-05-14T06:16:51-07:00 Elizabeth Nordquist

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Grace happens, as surely as the other things that happen.The world is full of reminders of the Grace of the Holy, despite and alongside the illness and disorder of much of the created and human-made world. So today I celebrate a gift of Grace in my life–unmerited (as the Calvinists are fond of saying), unexpected and a continuing presence since I was a teenager. I celebrate the birthday of my life partner, who has been an agent of Grace for me most of my life.

I celebrate the persistence of caring, above, around and through all the winding roads of a life that has contained children and grandchildren, vocations and avocations, exuberant days and days of great grayness.

I celebrate the unfailing faithful presence, despite the parts of our growing selves that have diverged like two roads in a wood.

I celebrate the inquiring mind that has taught me to look up, look out, look around the multi-layered worlds of creation and human enterprise to “see rare beasts and to have excellent adventures.”

I celebrate the energy of new ideas, new horizons, new passions that he has been willing to share and explain, sometimes with great labor.

I celebrate the joie de vivre that he has shown me in teaching me to trust and to hope, to believe that there is sun, even when it is not shining.

I celebrate the gracious forgiveness which has incarnated for me to show me that there are no final defeats in this human enterprise called loving.

And I celebrate the Love that has been an intimation of Divine Love that has stayed with me almost since we met. It is not a perfect Love. It is not a perfect Person. But he is a human gift of God’s Grace who not only has given again and again to me, but has facilitated my own journey to become the Person I am intended to be in my life of Spirit.

I don’t really know how we happened all those years ago. I only know that Grace evokes great gratitude, and on this celebration of my Beloved’s birthday, I give deep thanks to the Holy One for that gift. I pray that his day and new year of life will be showered with the Love of the Triune God, who has taught us together the rhythms of Grace.

Previous Post

April 20, 2013

Eastertide III-V: Going Places

Next Post

May 23, 2013 Surprising Spirit!

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category action Advent animals attentiveness Beauty blessing body Book Review Brigid Bruce Reyes-Chow celebration change Christmas church clergy misconduct community compassion creation David Hockney discernment Easter Eastertide election Epiphany faith faithfulness feminism forgiveness friendship God of all seasons Gods world Grace gratitude Healing hesychia Hildegard of Bingen Holy Spirit Holy Week hope hospitality humility inclusiveness invitation Jesus Christ journey joy justice kindness labyrinth Lent letting go Light listening Love Love & Salt making space marriage Mary Mechtild of Magdeburg memory Mothering mourning music ordination patience paying attention peacemaking Pentecost perseverance pilgrimage praising Prayer preaching presence reconciliation remembering repentance restoration sacred conversation sainthood Scripture reflection Seasons seeing clearly serving silence soul friend spiritual direction spiritual practice St. Francis storytelling suffering time Transfiguration Sunday transformation traveling trust truth-telling Uncategorized wisdom witness women Word work worship

Select a Month January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What prophet was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Isaiah Elijah Jeremiah Elisha