All Manner Of Grace

This is a year in which I have chosen to pay attention to words.  I've been faithfully writing in my 1000 Gifts journal, listing both my gifts for which I am thankful and words/song lyrics/scriptures/thoughts that strike me with deep meaning.  I am somewhere around the #250 mark.  Only 9 1/2 months left to go to complete this challenge, which is, truthfully, sometimes a challenge and more often a joy.
 
The author of the 1000 Gifts book/concept, Ann Voskamp, often challenges to remember to give thanks for the hard eucharisteo, the gifts that are indeed gifts, but are hard to be thankful for.
 
And my mind turns to my work.
 
I find inspiration to write millions of blog posts in my mind about the things I experience at work but confidentiality prevents me from sharing.
 
.....I wish you could see....
...these moments where grace is lived......
......in moments, every day, where.....
 
some moments make you smile
some make you weep
some make you strive to live better
to follow examples of those
that have chosen to live in grace
regardless of
MOMENTS OF HARD THANKSGIVING
 
HARD THANKSGIVING = you're not living in moments that you would choose, but you choose to be thankful regardless.  You choose to live well, you choose to learn, you choose to 'hunker down' and make the best of it
 
 
 
Being an RN in long term care - this is my work desk

But this is where the reality is lived

The real moments of my work that impact me the deepest occur...

in that little space between
 a precious soul left in my care
and my heart.

I observe, I participate, I initiate, I respond, I watch, I learn, I dry tears, I cry tears.

Grace - in abundance -
  • in the elders who come to live with us who have no family - who have fallen through the cracks of society with no one to care for them.  Except, now, we get to do that.  And some caregivers are exceptionally good at lavishing love on those who haven't been loved much before.  Grace.
  • in the spouses who have prematurely lost their partner to the grips of dementia or illness but who determine that life isn't over and they boldly and surely walk through our doors into a new way of living, living new moments of grace in new circumstances in peace, to the best of their ability
  • in the elders who have needed to abandon all that they hold dear and familiar by this outrageous move but who do so with courage and grace 
  • in the families that have lived at odds with each other over history gone bad, but are drawn together by the last twilight moments where grace helps all
  • in staff who wear grace like a cloak and serve serve serve, love love love, help help help - and go home and, on many occasions, shed a tear or more because life is hard and moments are sweet and sometimes the sweet hard moments make you cry.


So this is me, at work, celebrating something special with my friend, Emma.
We're celebrating the 30th anniversary of our facility
We're celebrating on this afternoon by playing dress-up with elderly ladies and pearls (for the 30 years) and hats and makeup

We're celebrating grace!
We're celebrating joyful moments!
We're celebrating partnership - and on this day, Emma is mine
and I'm ALL IN WITH THAT
because she's awesome!!



And when I go home, I reflect on more words
that are giving ME life
 and grace
...for 2014....
- courtesy Robin Mark -
 
"In life, in death, whom shall I fear
Closer than breath, I feel You near
Oh hold me in Your strong embrace
Where I find rest within the Year Of Grace"
 
 
May GRACE find you where you need it most today.  

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