By the Grace of God

By the Grace of God.

This phrase is used so frequently in Christian circles. I am not sure I fully comprehend its significance. All I can muster is that because of God's grace (and ONLY by the grace of God) something happened.

If we assume this is the definition, it is by the grace of God that I have survived the past three weeks.

To start off, school is back in session, which means balancing homework and work and social life. On top of that, I was filling in for our baker at my workplace, while she was on vacation.

The first week was difficult to bear.

The second week was overwhelmingly filled with despair. I broke down into sobs more than any one person should probably in a given year let alone a week.

I was...
stressed
homesick
exhausted
forgetful
chronically late
clumsy
cranky
negative
hungry
hopeless

I was a complete shell of a human trying to accomplish both work and school.

But on Sunday I rested and planned. Planned for this week--a week that was filled with joy only by the grace of God. I still did everything I did the week before but I did it with much more grace than before. During one of my breakdowns, my mother prayed over me, and I remember her saying if I survived these crazy weeks, it would be through the grace of God.

I guess she was right. :)

~Beth