Just as spring is gradually thawing the cold earth and coaxing the trees to finally trust their tender leaves and blossoms to the warming air, so I am emerging from a period of winter in my own life. You’ll notice I have “grace” in the title of this blog.  That is not primarily because I like the sound, or even the grace that the shape of the word itself holds.  I desperately need grace in my daily walk and often forget it is there for the claiming. Loss is difficult, and, having recently experienced it,  I  find myself reluctant to emerge and trust the world.  Heck, on a good day I have great difficulty with that “t” word. 

Katie Couric once said, “Life is a series of reboots,” and that resonates with me.  If you look at my path so far, “reboot” is my middle name.  So now, yet again, I am taking a leaf from nature’s tree and, with prayer, pressing forward.  It is time again to trust in God and His grace, and in myself as His creation.  Last weekend that meant I mustered up the courage to show up at our church worship team rehearsal with my violin.  Now mind you, I come from that structured, orchestral background; jamming with a bunch of guitarists and a keyboard is not really my forte.  I had no intention of putting myself out there during services, but somehow that is exactly what happened.  Did I fall flat on my musical face?  No.  I received grace in abundance as I was able to forget myself and simply become part of the music.  It was such a joy to be part of a group, contributing my talents to something worthwhile and uplifting.

God is not done with me yet.  May I embrace grace fully and bloom where He wants me, and experience the joy that brings.