My dear friend Kirsten asked me a few weeks ago if I had picked my word for the year 2021. I quickly responded hope. I didn’t have to think about it as it has been my word for 2020 too. Hope is what Stills Magnolia is anchored on, the hope that Jesus Christ brings us, even in the midst of the darkest times in our lives. As I have reflected on Kirsten’s question, it got me thinking what my words would have been for the previous years. In 2017 my word would have been growth. I was finally pursuing my dream job and putting myself out there in the big, bad world to go blaze a trail. I threw caution to the wind, got on a jet plane and went west. Then 2018 happened. The year I got sick and my life came to a screeching halt. My word for that year quickly became rest as it was literally all I could do.  For 2019, my word was “still”, as this was the year I walked away from my career, with a lot of help from God opening the door for me to do so. In 2019 God taught me what it meant to be still before Him. To truly surrender my worries, health, future, control (ha, like I ever had that), every aspect of my life to Him. Which brings me back to where I started, my word for 2021.

As this wonderful year we know as 2020 is approaching its end, can I get a Hallelujah?, I really felt like my word would stay hope. We need hope. Hope for better days ahead. Hope for less division in our nation. Hope for healing. We need hope that can only be found in Jesus and provided by Him. But as I have thought about what I have witnessed over the past several weeks, experienced myself and heard stories from hurting friends, I think I may change my word to grace. As a society we lack it. In fact, it feels like we have canceled grace. What do I mean? From my perspective the world is screaming, I expect you to unconditionally respect & accept me and my beliefs, but I refused to respect you and yours, let alone accept them. And, if you dare say something different from what I believe I cannot be around you or near you. Then just like that we write people off.  We just remove them from our lives, end the relationship or avoid them at all cost. And they are more than just people, they are our friends of 20 years, family members, grand-parents, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, not strangers or acquaintances we yell back and forth with on social media, which is a whole other issue. No these, are people who we love, have history with, done life with, the good and the bad. These are the people that showed up to hold our hand at the hospital. These are the people that put our needs first and did without. The people who may not have always gotten it right but tried their best, showed up and were present. The people who hugged our necks, dried our tears, listen in the late hours of the night as we bared our souls. The people who cheered the loudest for us when it felt like the world was against us. These are the people we now choose to sacrifice on the sword of being right.  Yes, grace, we could all use and show a little more of it. 

Here’s the thing, grace is not a new concept. Grace was born in a manager over 2000 years ago and then died on the cross. We are told in Ephesians that it by grace we have been saved through faith, not of our own doing as it is a gift of God. We were given the gift of grace despite our offensives. We were shown grace because God loved us first. God knew we needed a Savior, so he gave us grace. God showed us grace because He values us and our relationship with Him. He could have chosen to never send Jesus, but He didn’t do that. He chose grace. That’s why I choose grace, because God gave it to me. So, I choose grace for the elderly woman who wants to constantly talk because she is lonely, broken hearted and longing for the time family meant something. I choose grace for the family member who lives life a little differently than me and just wants someone in the family to take time to genuinely listen. Grace for my friend, who is ridden with depression and anxiety, when she needs help to get through each hour of the day. Grace for my friends who voted differently than me at the polls. Grace for the friend who said something that rubbed me a little bit, regardless of intent.

And when I think about grace it leads me back to my word of 2020, hope. See, what’s so amazing about grace is it gives us hope. That is what God’s grace did for you and me. Through the gift of Jesus, God gave us hope. Hope for a future. Hope that God would bring beauty from the ashes. Hope that God would heal our broken hearts. Hope for eternal life. Hope for a time when pain and suffering will no longer exist. Hope. The gift of grace gave us the gift of hope. Makes me think that if we can all start to extend grace to one another then we have hope. Hope for a better tomorrow. Hope for mending broken relationships. Hope we all come a little more empathetic. Hope that we can see the good in each other rather focusing on what we don’t like about the other. Hope.

You may not have thought about picking your word for 2021 or you may have already done it. Regardless, I would challenge you to choose grace, not as your word, but as how you live. Live it out by showing mercy, love, forgiveness and kindness towards others. Oh yes, the world could use a healthy dose of grace right now, don’t you think? And I can’t think of a better time to extend some grace, especially to our family, then as we celebrate Christmas. After all isn’t Christmas a celebration of God’s gift of grace to us? My prayer for you this Christmas is that if you haven’t received God’s free gift of grace through Jesus, and don’t truly understand grace, that you will. May you know Him, trust Him, draw near to Him and experience the forgiveness and hope only He can provide. 

So guess I need to go back to where I started, my word for the upcoming year. For 2021 I think I will have 2 words: Grace and Hope. Because the reality is grace brings hope, they go together; and spiritually speaking, they both have a name, and His name is Jesus.

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Last, a must share! Here’s one of my new favorite Christmas Songs that speaks of God’s Gift – Anthem Lights: Mary Did You Know/Breath of Heaven Mash-up 

Merry Christmas my sweet friends! Much love, Pam