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A Lesson in Grace

This past weekend I was given the blessing of having my elderly grandmother in my home from Friday to Monday morning. As I watched her hobble around the kitchen, sew on buttons to clothes, or wash dishes I thought how painful it must be to be old. Old people can't do things that young people can. Imagine going all your life without needed help from anybody and then you can no longer tie your shoes, comb your hair, or climb stairs.
   The truth is I often think my life is hard. It's hard to be single. It's hard to get along with others. It's hard to keep smiling some days. But as I watched my grandmother I thought, "It's even harder when the one you once loved is gone, when those you used to get along with are in nursing homes and you never see them, or when you can't hear what people are saying so you don't know what everyone is smiling about."
   I often think young people are in need of a special dose of grace but as I watched my grandma I realized that the trials I have are small compared to the trials she struggles with. And yet, as she struggles to let people help her because she can't do things herself, she quietly trusts God and waits on Him. Her example is a blessing to me. I hope and pray that someday I can be was gentle, wise, and patient as she is.
   So next time you think that you aren't having a good day, that nothing is going right, think about an elderly person and how hard their life is. Realize that you are blessed and that every thing you struggle with now is small in comparison to what you may someday need to endure. Be encouraged. God's grace is sufficient for you. 2 Corinthians 12:9

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