A defining moment can come at any time.  My moment came in the early morning hours while a gentle snow fell from a dark sky.  Oversized Chair. Warm Fire. Cozy Blanket. Bold Coffee. And Max Lucado’s book, Come Thirsty.

We all have messy parts of our lives.  I’m no different.  The pressures that people put on us are sometimes so expansive that it feels as if our chest is about to cave in.  Your pressure might come from work, or from family, or friends.  Pressures can be kids, finances, relationships.  We’ve all got them.  What makes your messy life different from anyone else’s?  Perspective.  Your choice to make it for the good or for the not so good.

I look at pressure like it’s a blessing straight from the Big Man.  We’ve heard, “God wouldn’t bring you to it if He couldn’t pull you through it.” I’m not advocating that God takes us into the messiness of life but when we’re in it, His grace is sufficient to help us face it.  Breathe, wonder, ask, sit silently and feel deeply.  Can you find one blessing, one thing that might pull you through?  Can you see life from the other point of view?  Will you take the time to even wonder?

My Defining moment came when I read, “What image best describes your heart?  A water-drenched kid dancing in front of an open fire hydrant?  Or a bristled desert tumbleweed?  Here is how you know.  One question.  Does God’s grace define you?  Deeply flowing grace clarifies, once and for all, who we are.”

I am defined by grace to live and grace to act as if all the pressure in the world is just one big blessing.  It’s my focus.  I choose to be a water drenched kid dancing in front of an open fire hydrant!  I choose because God’s grace allows me the freedom to act!  I choose to laugh and brighten someone’s day.  I choose to reach out.  I choose to be a friend, a daughter, a mom, a sister, a coworker.  I choose you, my friend.  Come along and choose to dance in the water with me!

PS God will never lead you to a place where His grace cannot keep you.