As I mentioned in Friday’s post I led a presentation at a middle school/high school retreat Saturday. (I meant to post this on Saturday, and even had it written, but am just now getting it posted.) Anyway, I used part of Jami Smith’s song, “Your Love is Deep” to outline our time together at the retreat. Over the next few days, I’ll be adapting my presentation into blog posts focusing on each of the lines of the verse of that song. Today’s line: “Deeper than my view of grace.”
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I’ve been learning a lot about grace lately. I’m not exactly sure what I used to think grace was, but I know that my “view of grace” is not the same it used to be.
I think my former picture of grace was just some word we sang in some popular Christian songs and a word thrown around in theology classes that we wanted to make sure we focused. Grace was about salvation… it’s what saves us from death on the cross. Grace is well…. Yea… I think that about summed up my view of grace. And I’m so glad God’s love is deeper than that view I held for so long.
As I’ve worked through some tough stuff in my life over the past year I began to realize that grace is so much more. In the session Saturday we (me and the two young adult women that I asked to come help me) talked with the girls about the expectations we/they have either placed upon us/them or that we place upon ourselves.
Somewhere along the line in my life I had accumulated a lot of expectations, mostly from myself, and those expectations kept me from realizing what true grace really is about.
True grace really is about freedom to simply be the person God’s created you to be. It goes beyond simply getting into heaven and salvation. 
God’s grace gives me strength to go through each day.
God’s grace calls me to live a godly life but at the same time removes pressure to perform.
God’s grace tells me that I don’t have to live under the expectations of the world but that I can simply just be who I am.
Grace is about joy… and contentment… and peace.
And even cooler yet is that even with my new view of grace… God’s loves still goes deeper than that!
What about you…. What is grace to you?
joyfullyblessedblog.com 
I love this. I have a sign hanging in my kitchen that simply says, Grace. Like you, the experience that is grace has changed and grown for me. I love everything you said–I think it also has to do with how we say a person is “graceful.” When we aren’t trying so hard (using our own will to force an outcome), suddenly everything falls into place. Living becomes simple, clear, graceful–as beautiful and perfect as God’s design for our lives because that is the plan that is moving us. Grace is movement in His ease. Grace is being lifted in His arms like a dancer. Grace is what allows me to face the day knowing I am not alone and that someone loves me enough to take everything that burdens me–my sins, my doubts, my troubles, my awkward-self–and frees me so I can move freely in His freedom! Wow! This is such a great topic!