As I lay awake contemplating the day, my thoughts are turned to grace. Extending grace has never been a strong suit of mine. I have learned that God’s grace abounds in every circumstance of my life and that has become rather easy to acknowledge, even in the tough times, but extending grace, that is a different story. As I lay praying for my girls I realize that even though they have never read a word about grace, or heard a sermon on grace, or experienced God’s ultimate grace, they are extending it to me. The truest grace possible, grace extended in the most trying of circumstances. They graciously signed and agreed to be daughter to a stranger. They graciously call a white foreigner mama, when they are grieving their China mamas. They graciously accept comfort from someone who feels uncomfortable. They graciously try to obey when it has never been a requirement. Leah – worried about my tears as we cry together, Riley – inquires about my headache as her world falls apart, Jessie – sharing her own gum with me when she has never owned anything. They may seem like small acts to some, but trust me, I am being schooled in grace!

Kelly