Grace

Having the fortune to teach the youth in any capacity is hard work, but when you get to teach the Young Women in church, you've hit the mother-load of responsibility, fun, drama, spirituality, and hyperactivity.  I think as a general rule when you're serving in the Young Women there is a dating period when the girls decide whether you are cool or not, whether they respect you or not, and whether they can trust you with their personal thoughts and feelings.

Luckily, we are sooooooo over that.  (It was a bit of a shaky start since the other leaders I serve with are "über-cool and stuff.")  But now we are comfortable around each other and they have decided that they can hear me out the majority of the time.  Yesterday I gave the Sunday lesson on Grace and it went so well I think it's blog-worthy.

We started by writing down our weaknesses that seem to be others' strengths and that we wish we could overcome.  We kept them to ourselves and let them mull in our minds throughout the lesson.  Next, we talked about what they thought of GRACE.  I loved all their answers, but the most poetic and to-the-point answer that really helped everyone out was given by a timid 15 year-old:

"Grace is similar but different than Mercy.  

Mercy is NOT being given what you deserve, 

and Grace is being given what you do NOT deserve."

First of all, let me mention how impressed I am that a 15 year-old could think so hard about something that other 15 year-olds don't even give a second thought to--she really surprised me with that one.  (Also, I should mention that it may not be her thought, though I don't know that.  Pinterest quotes are a common thing in our class, ha ha!  Either way, it was a helpful contribution.)

It's an interesting thing--Grace--that I never personally thought was pressing enough to teach the youth in its own Sunday lesson; however, after realizing the extraordinary, daily value of grace, it truly is a thing everyone should realize with more conviction.

After studying the topic for quite some time, I realized that the Enabling Power of the Atonement is the thing that has gotten me through the hardest times, even when the things that were happening to me were through no fault of my own.  That enabling power was what I believe Grace to be.  It's the ability to overcome trials through a type of resilience that only God can arm you with.  It's a burden being carried by more than just the heavy-laden.  It's a gift, it's a power, it's a strength.  It's made manifest through the Holy Ghost which calms us, binds us to Him, and buoys us when we are out of our last ounce of natural strength.

We returned to our papers of weaknesses.  It was a powerful thing to realize that every single one of the weaknesses we have can be overcome through the Grace of our Savior.  We are not confined to them in this life.

After delving into the scriptures, I came to the conclusion that I didn't (and still don't) fully comprehend this power.  Something I do realize is that we can't sit idly by and expect to receive His grace; however, in the very act of TRYING, we do receive it.  Grace is something to be attained--it is a reaction to our action.  My daily acts and thoughts are potential catalysts to receiving this strength through Christ.  Lately, I've been a little more aware of my role as a mother and wife and I know more than ever that I need His help to give me more of an ability to fulfill those responsibilities.  My goal is to increase my daily supplication for His help, and to recognize when that help is given.