#153: Grace Beneath the Waves: What is grace?

Many of us feel today like we have been blindsided by a life we thought was going well; instead, we've been overcome by a health diagnosis. We feel untethered to who we are because our child is walking through hell, and we've done all we can, and we don't know what to do, but we want our child's pain to end. Or – oh, I don't know: our world has been turned upside down over the past two years. Many of us feel like we have been scooped up into a reality we didn't choose, don't like, and didn't want. All the while, our mind reels: What is going on? Where is God's grace? Oh, friend, if that is how you feel today, you are in the right place.  Throughout this series, we will plunge into the elusive and amazing concept of God's grace as we study the book of Jonah, a man who certainly knew what it was like to be dropped somewhere you didn't want to be.  We will see how God's grace is for us, how to offer grace to others, and, more clearly, we will see the One who specializes in lavishing us with grace upon grace. Over four Tuesdays, we will break down the book of Jonah like this: This week, we'll look at Chapter 1 and discover what grace is Next week, we'll look at Chapter 2 and learn how to receive God's grace for ourselves March 21, we'll look at Chapter 3 and walk through how to give grace to others And on March 28, we'll look at Chapter 4 as we see how grace leads to freedom. In today's episode, you'll learn what God's grace means,  why you reject God's grace,  how faulty views of God impact your heart,  and how to receive grace in a storm. Quotes about what God's grace means "God is grace, and He offers Himself to you." - Jill E. McCormick "Grace is the lovingkindness and favor of God that doesn't excuse or condone your sin, but hammered it to the cross of Christ so you bear it no more." - Jill E. McCormick "Grace is the person of Christ, who understands your humanity and comes alongside you to work on your behalf." - Jill E. McCormick Quotes about grace in a storm "In our suffering, God is with us. In our storm, God invites us to trust Him. He cares to act in the storm for our good. He is not on the other side of the storm; He is with us in it. He hides us under His wing as the storm batters us." - Jill E. McCormick "What storm in your life do you need to get up and call on God for? What winds and hardship and suffering are you numbing or working to escape that Jesus wants to use as a wake-up call?" - Jill E. McCormick "God allows space for grief. Even a weak faith is held in the almighty hands of God. We can both live in the storm AND ALSO experience the abundant life God offers." - Jill E. McCormick "Friend, you do not need to run alone. You don't need to ride out this storm alone. You can simply ask Him to help you accept the grace He's already giving." - Jill E. McCormick   If you'd like to learn more about grace and what it means for your right-now life, go here: #1: So what is grace exactly? #3: Are you a try-hard girl? #54: A reminder for the try-hard girl when "Jesus loves me" feels cliche As Mentioned in the Podcast The FCC requires that I tell you that I'm an Amazon Affiliate, which means I earn a bit of commission on each sale. But don't worry; there's no added cost to you! This Too Shall Last by K.J. Ramsey Here's how to connect with Jill Website  GraceInRealLifePodcast.com  Instagram  Subscribe to Jill's weekly "the good + the grace" email