Grace makes beauty out of ugly things

Last weekend while I was driving, I rediscovered one of my favorite songs that I had forgotten about - Grace by U2 (2000).  It came on my iPod while I was out running errands and it really got me thinking about the meaning of the word 'grace'.  We hear the word all the time, but what does it really mean?

This beautiful song depicts grace as a woman...a woman who takes all the bad in the world and makes it good, a woman who 'makes beauty out of ugly things'.  A woman with no-frills about her, but yet you hear music whenever she's around.  She exists for no other reason than to say 'yes' to the world...a yes that allows you to hand over your shame to her, ask for forgiveness and then heal.  As she's walking, this idea of karma comes along and Grace decides she's  taking the other road.  She knows karma is central to how many people live their lives - what you put out to the Universe you will receive back, an eye for an eye, etc.  Yet she says, 'Sorry, that's not what I'm all about.  I'm about love.  I'm about forgiveness.'  

And that's the beautiful thing about grace.  It's there when you need it most - during those times when you feel worthless, when you feel you've done a terrible thing, when you feel you've hurt someone you love, when you have lied or may have betrayed someone.  God says, 'No problem.  Give it to me.  I'll take it.'  And in return, you receive nothing but His love and mercy.  You receive grace.  

It's a humbling concept.

"Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future."  ~ Oscar Wilde