Celebrations from the Soul

A Graceful Holiday - Blog Series II                           
                           ~ Grace ~

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2Corinthians 12:9

Prayer for Today:

Heavenly Father, you said that when two or more Christians pray in your name that you would be in the midst of us.  Today, I pray that your day be led with an open heart to be receptive to your surroundings so that God may shine his light through you.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Reflection Corner:

It’s the little acts of kindness that goes a long way.  I taught a Civility class at George Mason University and one of the assignments for my students was to be focused, open and receptive to their surroundings by showing grace and kindness throughout the day to strangers.  I gave this assignment and I anxiously waited for the responses, but the first person to speak was me, I couldn’t help myself.  My day was blessed ten-fold because I actively engaged in the assignment myself.  That whole day I was on alert on how I can lift someone (focusing on strangers) through my actions.  It was a blessing to know when I have a grace filled heart, God will allow me to be used in a lot of different ways.  On that particular day, I didn’t have to donate thousands of dollars, all I had to do was smile graciously and say hello to strangers, slow down in the car and allow people in front of me, be patient while waiting in lines, hold the door for a group of students, help a new mom to her car with groceries and the list goes on.  Walking in that spirit makes a great day. 

During the holiday season, peoples nerves are on high alert, they tend to be more anxious and their patience level is at an all time low.  You can be the beacon of light by showing grace to your fellow man.  Today, focus on being compassionate by doing the little things to make a difference.  Trust me, the end result will be a huge blessing in your life.

 Activity Inspiration:

Scripture Calling Card

A calling card is sometimes used as a form of introducing oneself to a stranger.   By creating a scripture card you are revealing the word and your heart to a stranger or to someone that you love.  My friend, Angie gave me a card that over the years I have gone back to for inspiration.  What a beautiful gift to give to another human being.  You can create scripture calling card that has your favorite “scripture”  that you can pass out throughout the day to people you meet along the way while you are showing your acts of kindness, is a great way to show God’s light and love on this earth.

You can make this as creative as you like.  If you do calligraphy you can do them by hand, if you are graphically inclined you can do them on the computer, and if you are crafty you can add embellishments, whatever the case whether you make 10 or 50, someone will be blessed.  Make it work for you.

Journal:

In creating your cards, what scripture speaks to you that you would like to share with others?

What acts of kindness and grace did you bestow on others today?

How did it make you feel to bless others?