"Looking for Lovely"

I must admit that I saw the title of our next chapter and expected a much different ending than Annie gave us. The title is “Athletes,” and I want you to go straight to it and read. Read all the way to the end and then return for a few thoughts from me.

I expected everything Annie said in the beginning. Athletes persevere. They don’t quit. They keep their eyes on the “finish line.” Yes! I understand being a good athlete means having “no quit grit.”

But, this was a new thought for me,

“I’m beginning to think they (athletes) just get grace better than I do. Grace to grow, grace to make mistakes and recover, grace to try again.” (page 92)

That's an amazing concept, and I want to understand grace better, to offer myself the space to make mistakes and recover.

So, friends, where do you need to have more grace for yourself? Has quitting been on your mind but maybe you just need to consider giving yourself more grace? Let's shift our perspective. Possibly, it is time to quit trying harder, pushing relentlessly, and talking poorly to and about ourselves when we don’t achieve the outcome we wanted. If we quit on those things, I wonder if we can find the grace needed to persevere in the race.

God, give us the mind of an athlete. Show us how to navigate processes with grace, for ourselves and for others. Give us a “long game” mindset and show us when we need to take a break. Your Word says that You can provide for Your children even while we sleep (Psalm 127:2), so we rest in You. Amen.