Tuesday, 04 October 2011

• Leave Room For Grace and Find Your True Voice

  By Bonnie at Faith Barista
  

  My coffee cup, leaving room for cream and a splash of hazelnut

  In the journey to find your true voice, you will want to leave room for something beautiful. Leave room for grace.

  When I take my coffee first thing in the morning, you can count on it being black.

  I need it to be strong. The greatest amount of caffeine delivered is the goal of a dark cup of java.

  It’s a whole ‘nother story if I’m meeting a friend for coffee.

  The coffee barista asks, “Room for cream?”

  I look over at my friend waiting for me, drink in hand.

  I smile. Yes.

  Cream makes coffee go down smooth.  It changes the texture and leaves a fragrance, a subtle sweetness that swirls in your mouth.

  Its purpose is not caffeine delivery.  It mixes in a splash of richness.  It whispers:  sip and enjoy.

  In my journey to discover my voice as a writer, I have learned a lot about my journey of faith.  

  Always leave room for cream.

  Always leave room for grace.

  Grace As An Invitation

  If you’re on the journey to self-expression — whether it be through weaving words together, knitting new friendships, embarking on new opportunities or walking through a season of loneliness or grief — give voice to who God has made you — by leaving room for God’s grace.

  Of course, we all know about grace.

  We sing it, write it, and say it several times a day before our meals.

  Grace sounds beautiful — until we are called to leave room for it.

  Grace means –

  – stopping to take a breath, when we’ve come to the point of our limits.

  – trusting we aren’t defined by any moment, even when we make mistakes or fall short of our expectations or others.

  – allowing others to see who we really are — what we like, dislike, our hesitations as well as our dreams.

  Leaving room for grace means opening ourselves up for joy in a way that leaves us vulnerable and tender.

  Grace is that sweet ingredient that leaves room for a friend to enter in.

  If we give ourselves the kindness, patience and gentleness that we so often extend to others, we can free ourselves to speak more often — and more confidently — in our true voice.

  And when we can speak honestly and freely, our voice becomes an invitation to others to join us.

  Someone who hears your true voice will connect with your heart and feel at home with you.

  Your Heart, Your Home

  Many times in our non-writing life, we grow up with social scaffolding. Many of us don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. But, if we did attempt to do so, we often remember the times we’ve been misunderstood or rejected.

  When we write — or move out to live our lives outloud — we must remember we are not only offering our words.

  We are offering ourselves.

  We are offering hospitality –a place where they can find you at home with yourself.

  So, finding your voice involves an important component of transparency. When you feel no one else feels the way you do, share that one thing. I can guarantee you, the grace you are offering yourself in that moment to be vulnerable, will offer grace to a person who is receiving your words.

  Among the people you come across is a friend waiting to be discovered. He or she wants to know they are not alone.

  Your words can set them free. Not because you have the answers, but because you know their questions.

  Many times we worry that we don’t have any life-giving words to offer.

  The beautiful, amazing truth is that we don’t have to.  By sharing our as-is journey, we offer God’s most amazing, life-giving gift of grace.

  What is that?

  It’s Jesus.

  He is grace — in you, waiting to be opened, shared and received.

  Jesus offers us himself.  Take me into your whole being.  I was broken for you.  There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, can’t you see?

  Jesus lifts up a cup of grace. Drink this.  I’ve poured myself out for you.  You are my true love. You have my undying promise to love you forever. 

  When we see ourselves in light of grace, we learn to open up the cages we’ve locked our hearts in and we begin to whisper.

  We begin to speak.

  We find our voice.

  We leave room for grace.

  ~~~~~
  
  
  How are you discovering your true voice?

  How can you leave room for God’s grace on this journey of discovery?

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