Grace, grit and other gr-words

It would be funny to have a recording of my train of thought, especially while running. This morning while doing my long run of 44 kilometers, my thoughts kept going back to words starting with “gr …”

First, there was this pair of words, “grit” and “grace.” Everything we have is through grace. What do we have that was not given? Whatever we think we accomplished, was through talents and circumstances and even willpower that was freely received. But grit is necessary to develop those talents, to persevere and not get discouraged. Grace is God’s action of blessing, while grit is our response to it.

There is always a conflict between these two or is it a balance? Both are necessary. God blesses, and we worship. He gives, and we receive. It is when we deny His involvement that things get out of whack. We are dependant on Him and cooperate with Him for the things that He wants to be done in this world. When we deny him, we become dry, and our efforts ultimately destroy the plans that God had for us and with us.

And his first plan for each of us is that we know Him. For that purpose, Jesus came.

After I thoroughly thought this through, my mind turned to other “gr” words that are good like “great”, “grounded”, “grand”, “grandfather (and mother)”, “groovy”, “grow”, “grin”, “Gryffindor”, ” gratitude”  What a great group of words!

There are others that are negative like “gross”, “grovel”, “grumpy”, “gremlin”, “grotesk”, “greed”, “gruesome”, “grave”, “grim” and “grope”. Don’t these just grate and grind in your ears?

And for some, you cannot be sure. It may depend on the context like “grass”, “graphic”, “grandiose”, “grill”, “graft” and “grunt” (Think about these) while others are just neutral like “group”, “grey”, “green” and “grail”, “grip”, “grasp”, “grasshopper”, “gradual” and the other “grate”.

 

 

I must confess that my kids climbed into this word search with so much enthusiasm that it expanded this word list beyond what I could think of while running and even expanded my own vocabulary!

I just love words.

As I grope for a grip on something great, during the grey morning grind, it is with gratitude that I grasp this grand, growing Grace.

Greetings

Stephan