Invitation to Grace

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Grace can generally be thought of as the experience of positive synchronicity in your life. The signs of this type of grace are most often the strong sense that you are fully supported by a kind and loving Universe, good fortune and blessings occur, and/or sticky situations resolve themselves easily. Doors that were once firmly closed shut suddenly open up and welcome you inside. Surprising, new, beneficial opportunities or connections, that previously seemed unavailable or unattainable, appear. There is an overwhelming sense of personal right action, a knowingness of what to do and when to do it that can create miracles. You feel you can do no wrong; you are divinely covered.
 
In threatening situations, where potential harm may come from a supposedly harsh or cruel world, the compassion and love of grace can lift you up into a different level of existence. At this protected level, you are kept immune from limitations, ugliness and harm. A good example of this the Bible story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den. The prophet Daniel is thrown into a lions’ den to be devoured as punishment for praying to God which has been prohibited by the king. God sends an angel to protect Daniel who miraculously emerges unharmed the next day to the surprise of all. Daniel experiences the grace of God – a protection from the very real dangers of death. Despite an impossibly hostile environment, Daniel is safe.
 
That life is a struggle, painful, or difficult, in one or more ways, is commonly accepted by most people. Can we experience grace and live in effortlessness, well-being, and ease? Could every person live in the midst of grace and experience a deep appreciation and awareness of the beauty and harmony of life every moment? Why do some people seem blessed with grace while others experience hardship? How can you make an invitation to grace and allow more of it into your life? Here are some recommendations.
 

1. The Graceful Courage to do Nothing

In our quick-paced world of instant action and gratification there can be an insistence on immediate results by effort. Resolving a complex issue can be as easy as sending an email, or flipping a TV switch to watch an international soccer match thousands of miles - if you are willing to exercise patience. Always planning, plotting or trying to fix or make something happen by your own efforts can be exhausting. If you take what actions seem appropriate, sometimes the next thing to do is nothing. It’s like planting a crop. You put the seeds in good soil, water it, and then must patiently allow nature and time to create the harvest. You may have to come back to water the crop, but the majority of the work is done by nature. Not all problems require action. They can resolve themselves in time – without your interference. Have the courage and patience to trust in grace.
 

2. Grace and the Sober Feeling of Rightness

When you are operating in the domain of grace you will get a feeling of rightness. There will be a sense of sober clarity. Pay attention to what you feel within – regardless of the outside conditions which may or may not appear favorable. Grace can be a kind of radar system that signals your emotions that all is well. If you have an unshakable calm - even if your mind is voicing anxiety – that is the sober feeling of rightness. It is telling you to be still, relax and let the universe take over. Be an observer. This stillness is an invitation to grace. Again, you may need to take action or not. You can trust that you will know the right thing to do by what you feel.
 

3. Suspend Belief and Create Room for Grace

Rather than trying to see life through your beliefs, definitions and rigid perceptions, loosen up and suspend belief. Allow for the possibility that your challenges can be resolved in unexplainable ways and leave it at that. There is often an indefinable force of perfection that can gently exert its influence over events in magical ways. Like the proverbial message in a bottle that serendipitously reaches its intended destination, grace can be like an ocean that carries you safely over the vast distances of disbelief to safely deliver you home. Let grace in by releasing how you think things should happen. Life is a miraculous creation; we do not know all the ingredients, or the inner workings, of its mechanisms. The mysterious experience of grace can work for you if you open up to unexpected solutions and then simply receive them into your life.
 

4. Accept Grace - It is Here for You

The universe does not have a grudge against you; you do not have to earn grace. Grace is a steady presence that is always available when we allow ourselves to look within, take right action, and then trust. Examples are everywhere. Have you ever seen someone who was in a bad car accident and walked away injury free? If you can believe in a benevolent and lenient Higher Power then you can begin to see that everyone and everything in the universe is helping you. You cannot fail. You may get sidetracked, you may not listen to your inner guidance, but you can find your way back to the firm foundation of support, strength and the infinite kindnesses of grace by accepting that it is here for you. Even if you feel you have failed or committed a wrong, grace forgives. It is merciful if your heart is true and open.
 

Sometimes our lives are touched by the grace of the guru – a person or experience that leads us from the darkness to the light. When that happens we learn that there is no obstacle to grace excepting our willingness to accept it. Unexplained miracles and synchronicities can bring positive changes in your life. We live in an interconnected universe that connects you with grace at all times - if you choose to walk the path of joy.
 

© Egan Sanders, 2007

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