Pictures of Grace

     If you know me at all you know these things: that I am called my last name more than my first, I have a southern accent, and that I have brown hair. Those are things that describe who I am, who are you? Are you a blonde hair, blue eyed, cute outfit wearing, jaw dropper? Maybe you are the straight A biochemical physics medical fancy things major I could never dream of kind of person (props to y'all!) Or maybe you are someone trying to get through all the daily list of "to-do's." and just hope to make it out of the house feeling at least remotely put together. Regardless of all of that though, each of us are someone. All of those things I listed might describe who you are to the everyday people or what you enjoy, but none of those things define you. It may describe you in ways, but it doesn't tell me what kind of person you are.

     This is just one of my sweet girls the Lord blessed me with this summer while I was in Texas. The past few months I have seen countless pictures of grace, but it has taken me a while to realize that. If I could stick someone in my pocket, this little chickadee would be one of the pickings. She literally oozed Jesus out of her. She wanted to know everything about Him and tell everyone about Him. I tell you all of this because to me she is a picture of grace to everyone she touches. She was the one who reminded me of what the joy of the Lord looked like. She would literally tell me time and time again "I know what Jesus did for me and I don't deserve it, I'm not perfect! Nugget, He was perfect! But He just loves me that much!" She is probably nine, probably loves soccer, and her mom probably still picks out her clothes. Those things describe her, but that's not what defined her. That light in her eyes that radiated out is what she let define her, and that light was Jesus. 

     Those descriptions I rattled off at the beginning, I have friends in each of those categories that are pictures of grace to me. Some of us couldn't be more opposite, but the Lord has beyond blessed me with some of their friendships. On the outside that describes a lot of them, but once you get to know their hearts you learn that's not what they let define them. They let Him love them well. Those three words have shown up so many times over the past week it's almost freaky.

    When I see those words "love them well" I think about every person I see or who I have gotten to know and how I love them. I think about last year, this summer, this semester now, and wonder who has loved me well and why did the Lord chose them to teach me His grace. Every person feels love in a different way, it's normal, it's the way Jesus made us. I think it's pretty cool to tell the truth! But with all of that said, how do you love people well? 

    The people in your life who are pictures of grace are often the ones we tend to look past. Because just like grace, we forget to receive and embrace it. We forget that by his wounds were were made whole again. Grace. We forget that He is walking with us every step of the way. Grace. We forget that it's by His grace, He loves each one of us well. He actually loves us perfect. Cherish those people who are pictures of grace in your life, thank them. Think about people who need pictures of grace in the midst of the hard, you might be that picture to them. To the southern bell, straight A student, soccer loving nine year old, or mother of three people and everyone else in between those titles aren't what define you. To remind them what defines you is what Jesus did on the cross for them that day and letting Him use you to love them well in the same way He loves us well from sun up to sun down. That my friends is the ultimate picture of grace. Be a part of His graceful masterpiece and simply love them well... it feels good, I promise!