Years ago, a co-worker/friend was going through some life challenges. She had also shared some past experiences and how mistakes from years ago still haunted her and she didn’t know if they would ever be resolved. I told her that, one day, when she was ready to share all of it, I would write her story. We would call it, The Gravel Road to Grace.
Fast-forward a few years – her situation changed. She moved through the life challenges with dignity and resolve. She achieved her heart-felt dream of resolution for some old issues and life is better. She has fulfillment, love, peace. Life is Good.
Of course, this summary is missing a lot of the detail, a lot of the “gravel” my friend had to drive over – or be dragged over – on her way to a lighter, happier life. It’s the same for all of us. Our human life on earth has many challenges. There are usually more gravel roads than paved, from the viewpoint of resistance, stubbornness, unforgiveness. Does gravel go on forever? No. When we do come upon a smooth stretch of pavement, we need to make the most of it and enjoy it while it lasts. Does the paved path go on forever? No. It’s a mix of the two. But I do believe we can get to a place where there is more paved than gravel, or where there is more peace than pain, more tolerance, acceptance, unconditional love, Gratitude. Grace.
The path to Grace is a journey of Awakening. We have heard about God’s Grace, for example. And, statements like, “There, but for the Grace of God, go I,” meaning we recognize when someone else seems to have a tougher road to travel than we do. But I believe Grace is not something we have to earn through hard trials and repentance. It’s more a State of Being we Awaken to or become Aware of as we continue this journey. Often, these periods of enlightenment come during some of life’s most challenging experiences. It’s easy to turn to God, or Spirit, or Source, or the Universe, when we are suffering. It’s a knee-jerk response. It’s automatic. “God! Please help me!” we cry as the walls close in, the light fades, the friends desert us. For some reason, it’s more challenging to keep God in our forefront when times are Good, when things are going our way, when the path is smooth. Maybe not so much challenging as mindful. When the tank is full, why worry about running out of gas? When life is Good, why keep praying and keeping ourselves in conscious connection with our Creator, when we don’t have any disasters facing us?
If you’ve ever ridden a bike down a gravel road and crashed, you know the pain and anguish of gravel and dirt mixed with blood and torn skin over knees, shins, elbows, hands. You thought things were going along fine. The wheels were turning, your hands were controlling the steering of the handlebars, then suddenly, the front wheel hits a rock or hole; or your attention is diverted, causing you to lose your grip. You may wonder why this happened? What did you do wrong? Of course, this is symbolic of the trials and tribulations we face almost every day, but having a regular practice of prayer, meditation, mindfulness, or some other centering activity that helps us stay Aligned with our Higher Self, our Inner Being, God, or whatever you identify with in that regard, helps to keep us balanced and focused when tough times arise, when we have those gravel-road crashes and detours.
Some people say Grace has to be earned, that it’s not a given; that it is given by God to those who suffer the most and therefore deserve it. But I believe that Grace is part of our Original Blessing. It is available to anyone who is willing to receive it. The Creator does not reward and punish us with our life challenges. We do that through our own choices (made with our Free Will). The Creator’s Grace is available to us as part of our spiritual evolution. It’s all about levels of Awareness. No one person is more Spiritual than another – no one has the market on Grace, Spirituality, Goodness. We are first and foremost Spiritual Beings, expressing part of our Spirit or Consciousness into this physical plane for the purpose of learning about Creation, Growth, Blessings, Unconditional Love, Grace. Everything we go through is for the purpose of our own growth and development in Knowing who we are as Spiritual Beings. When we practice this Awareness every day, we develop strength and confidence (Faith) that is available to draw upon during the physical or gravel road experiences of life. Everything hinges on our Awareness, Acceptance, Allowance.
There will always be times when we are traveling down the gravel road, but Grace is right there with us, our co-Driver, if we allow it.
May the Blessings and Grace be yours, no matter the road you travel.
(I know this is a little jumbled, but I wanted to capture these thoughts while they were fresh)
(gravel road image by wire stock on Freepik)
barbaraquin 