day 11: unmerited favor

I buff myself up sometimes.
In the car, in the shower, grocery shopping.
It's disguising how often I do it.


"I'm doing so good! I have a job, I love our house, I've cooked dinner every night this week."
"I look awesome. My outfit rocks. It's a great hair day."
"I'm so happy. I've worked so hard for this life."

And while some of this is true, and I think it's good to feel confident about our looks, there's a lot of I in there. Things I've done, things I should be praised for.

And yet, the truth is so far from that.  The truth reads so differently.

I'm a sinner. I'm selfish. I judge others easily and am very critical.
I've done nothing to deserve my husband, my house, my  job.

The difference? Grace. Grace takes the ugly truth that is, and by unmerited favor makes it the beautiful mess of my life.  If we walked around each day knowing who we are, yet celebrating the difference in our lives because of grace, how much more beautiful the world would be.

I hope today, you see what your life is and celebrate what grace has made it.