Grace. The meaning behind the name.

Grace. Such a beautiful word, a beautiful name, with even more beautiful meaning.

Over the last few months of thinking about names for little girls, God really opened my eyes and began to show me His love in a new way. He used situations, worship experiences, and people to continuously remind me of the countless times He has shown me grace in my life.

It's humbling. That is really the only word that comes to mind when I think about God and His grace that flows so easily during the times we need it most. I never thought that humans were capable of giving grace in such a graceful manner...but there are some that are very capable. It's difficult to give grace to people because usually when we are called to give grace...it's because we have been hurt. And that's what makes it so hard to do.

I guess you could say I have given this word and this gesture a lot of thought over the past few months. Not for any certain situation, but because God needed me to fully understand His grace that He has shown to me time after time. Yesterday in church the pastor said something that made so much sense. He said that most of the time, the Christians that judge, are the ones that do not fully understand what Christ has done for them personally. Because if they did understand the grace that has been shown to them, then they would stop judging and offer grace more quickly to others. It wasn't in those perfect words, but along those lines.

I think that many times we forget how many times we have failed, or how many times we have hurt someone and we have desperately needed forgiveness. I think that we forget that God has shown us grace in the exact same situations that we might be judging others for. Our memories should do a better job at reminding us of where we used to be, and maybe then we would seek out to help others instead of look down upon them. So many times it seems impossible to let go of our pride and humble ourselves enough to show grace, but really it should be easy. God does it for us daily because we are imperfect and because we disappoint Him.

Isn't it beautiful when grace is shown to you? I can think back at the times in my life when I have needed another person to show me grace and there is no other way to explain it. It was just beautiful. To look at someones face as they tell you that they forgive you, even when you don't deserve it. It's beautiful.

I think this way because the times I have needed it most....I was so far from deserving it. Christ painted this perfect picture on the cross. He died for me when I didn't deserve it. I believe He began teaching us on the cross about grace and it's a lesson that I am still trying so hard to learn.

Brandon and I have had many talks about grace and how God has blessed us time after time even when we have failed. We have failed as individuals, we have failed at times in our marriage, and we have tried to do things our own way for a long time. We made bad choices, we slept in Sunday after Sunday because selfishly we thought sleep was more important than church, we made decisions based on our desires and not Gods, and I could go on and on. Our marriage needed grace in the worst way. I say this because neither of us knew how to show each other grace years ago. We had never really learned. But when God showed up and when He offered grace to us as a couple, that is when we began to learn how to show it to one another. And it changed us.

Brandon and I will not ever forget that grace saved our marriage, our friendship and our love in the most beautiful way. We have walked through some valleys and yet somehow we feel stronger for it. Grace just has such a special meaning in our marriage and to each of us as individuals.

We sing a song at church called "Your grace is enough." I am sure many of you have heard it. It simply says that Gods grace is enough for me. No matter what any of us have done, His grace is enough to forgive us, to heal us and to carry us through any situation. But we have to believe it. Once I started believing it, I started seeing myself the way that God sees me...and not the way that I see me.

About 6 weeks ago we were in church and I was thinking about baby names. Probably because before we picked names, that was all I could think about. It kept me up at night, it was bad. I told Brandon that we had to pick the full name soon or I was going to go crazy. He really loved a first name that we had talked about over a year ago so that was a no brainer. But we didn't have a middle name. We wanted the name to have meaning. We felt like Brylee's middle name had meaning and we wanted the same for our next little girl...if we were ever to have one.

Back to church. So we are singing this song about grace and tears just started to roll down my face. It was one of those moments where there was no stopping it. But they were not sad tears. They were happy tears. They were tears of meaning. I just kept singing, and crying, and waiting for what God was going to say to me because I knew it was coming. In that moment I knew that if we were blessed with another little girl then her middle name would be Grace. I felt it. I felt like God knew we wanted the name to have meaning, and everything about the word Grace had perfect meaning for the two of us in this life that we share.

A few days later I told Brandon what happened and he just smiled. He couldn't have agreed more. It was one of those things that didn't need an explanation, we just knew.

A few weeks later I saw a quote online that solidified my thoughts on this name. The quote said...

"All of God's grace, wrapped up in one little face."

It was beautiful and I couldn't have said it better myself. Brandon and I wouldn't be here today with the grace of God, nor would we be building a family that we cherish so much. We all need grace in our lives because it's what brings beauty to our lives.

So if we have another little girl someday, her middle name will be Grace. And there is no doubt in my mind that she will bring so much beauty into this world.

Psalm 19:14

"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you oh Lord."

That's what I want for Brandon, for myself, for Brylee, and for this next little miracle. It's what life is about.

I was looking back at pictures of Brylee when she was born. I found one that I really love. It's definitely all of God's grace wrapped up in one little face. Boy or girl, I know this next baby will be no different.



Brylee has definitely grown with beauty and grace. She is so precious.