Aunt Bethany: “Grace? She died thirty years ago.”
Uncle Lewis: “They want you to say Grace.”
(Aunt Bethany shakes her head in confusion)
Uncle Lewis: “The BLESSING!
This scene of National
Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is one of my favorite parts of the movie. Why?
Because good ol’ Aunt Bethany is hilarious, that’s why. But seriously, how many
times have we felt like grace is the last thing we know anything about,
genuinely feeling that maybe Aunt Bethany’s confusion is a lot like our own
confusion. I know there have been plenty of times that I have thought grace is dead and gone. Thankfully, I now shake that notion fairly
quickly.
Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is one of my favorite parts of the movie. Why?
Because good ol’ Aunt Bethany is hilarious, that’s why. But seriously, how many
times have we felt like grace is the last thing we know anything about,
genuinely feeling that maybe Aunt Bethany’s confusion is a lot like our own
confusion. I know there have been plenty of times that I have thought grace is dead and gone. Thankfully, I now shake that notion fairly
quickly.
God’s blessings have been abundant in my life. And no, I’m
not talking about material things. I’m talking about hardships. Things that
have made me cling to Him like nobody’s business. Let me tell you something–if you don’t think trials are blessings then you aren’t living in grace yet.
That’s the place to be. But I get it. You’re probably thinking,
“Seriously? Are you on drugs? You don’t know my life.” I’m with you.
I was THAT girl. I was you. I survived my twenties. Need I say more?
not talking about material things. I’m talking about hardships. Things that
have made me cling to Him like nobody’s business. Let me tell you something–if you don’t think trials are blessings then you aren’t living in grace yet.
That’s the place to be. But I get it. You’re probably thinking,
“Seriously? Are you on drugs? You don’t know my life.” I’m with you.
I was THAT girl. I was you. I survived my twenties. Need I say more?
Let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time, there was
a naive, young girl who thought she had it all figured out. She had grown up a
believer in Christ and was close enough to Him according to her standards, but
she liked doing things her way. She had gone through ups and downs in her short
life, but for the most part, things usually went her way. After four years in
college, she was about to graduate. She just knew that she would continue her education to become a lawyer, but she failed to get accepted into a law school. Now she had no idea what she was going to do with her life. Her grand plan for life started to go awry. As a Type A perfectionist, this put her in a panic. Graduation day came and went, and she found herself
without a postgraduate program or a job. She then realized that she had to move
back home (like most college grads these days), but she hoped that everything would
eventually work itself out. Her boyfriend of five years at the time was there
in her small little town, so she thought all was not lost just yet. Perhaps,
maybe a proposal was the next step. Upon her return home, the days passed slowly and nothing seemed
to go her way. But then one day after being a substitute teacher, she
miraculously was offered a full time position as a school teacher. Much different than the law school plan, but she went with it. She just knew that
things were looking up. But just when life started getting better, confusion and
hardship started to engulf her personal life. Her relationship with her
boyfriend began to spiral, and she had a feeling that it was her fault somehow.
So one cold December night she reluctantly decided to end the relationship because
things just were not right. Nonetheless, she blamed herself for the split, and
beat herself up for it to no end. Like most girls her age, she quickly changed her mind and decided she didn’t want to be broken up after all. Then things went crazy. She heard all sorts
of rumors (that’s what small towns are notorious for, after all) about her
relationship that made her think that maybe the demise of her relationship
really wasn’t her fault like she had first thought. But no matter, she didn’t let pesky rumors destroy her
love for her ex-boyfriend. She spent the next few months begging and pleading
to be reunited with this boy. Oh, young love. To make a long story short, this
girl went through the wringer. The break-up and confusion in her life caused her
to reach a low so deep, she had even become suicidal. Life just wasn’t going her way. This girl was a lost little soul at the time. The heartache she
suffered was too hard for her to handle. She tried digging herself out of this
depression, so she decided to go on a church retreat. It was there that a small
seed was planted, like so many seeds had been planted before in her life. She returned
with an “I can change the world” attitude, which made her fight even harder in
her quest to get her old flame back. She still didn’t want to give up. However,
only more begging and pleading ensued. She just knew she could change his mind
so that he could fit into her plan, a plan that she just knew was best for the
both of them. Just think of Cinderella’s step-sister trying to squeeze on that glass slipper. She was going to make that shoe fit no matter what. (Don’t all young girls think like this? Bless their hearts.) But
then life took yet another turn. It was now the summer after their break-up,
and he told her that he got someone pregnant; it was a girl that she thought
had been her friend. This broke her heart into a million
more pieces. But no matter. She still loved him. Months passed, and after her
ex-boyfriend had become a father, she finally realized that it was time to move on with
her life. (Thank you, Jesus, homegirl finally got a clue.) In her quest to start
a new life, she figured it was time for her to leave that small town
to start anew. She found a job in a big city and was scared and excited,
flooded with emotions that were bittersweet. Immediately, she needed to talk to
her old best friend, that infamous ex-boyfriend, to get his reassurance that
all would be okay. They never really stopped being friends with each other (even though she had vowed to indeed move on), and
they had reached a point where they were at peace with the way things were. Crazy kids. So she called him to let him know of her big move. He was excited for
her new plans and wanted her to follow her dreams. A week after that
conversation, she was getting cold feet again about her upcoming move. Who do
you think she wanted to call? You guessed it. She called him, but she knew he
wouldn’t answer. It was a Saturday night after all. She left a voicemail. The
next morning when she woke up, she had a voicemail waiting for her in return.
She was satisfied with the message so she went about her day. It was a Sunday.
(The rest of that day stayed with her for what seemed like eternity.) Life was changing, but she thought she had it in order. She would move to a new city, stay friends with her old love, and hope for the best. Later
that morning, her best girlfriend called her to give her news that rocked her
world. That news shattered the lives of a lot of people that day. That news was
that her ex-boyfriend and a friend of his had passed away in a tragic house
fire early that morning. It was beyond devastating to her, and she didn’t quite
know how to process it all. It crushed her soul to lose her first love. Even
though they weren’t a couple at the time, she had lost one of her very best
friends, a friend whom she loved relentlessly. She mourned his life and wept
for his family and all who were affected by this great tragedy.
a naive, young girl who thought she had it all figured out. She had grown up a
believer in Christ and was close enough to Him according to her standards, but
she liked doing things her way. She had gone through ups and downs in her short
life, but for the most part, things usually went her way. After four years in
college, she was about to graduate. She just knew that she would continue her education to become a lawyer, but she failed to get accepted into a law school. Now she had no idea what she was going to do with her life. Her grand plan for life started to go awry. As a Type A perfectionist, this put her in a panic. Graduation day came and went, and she found herself
without a postgraduate program or a job. She then realized that she had to move
back home (like most college grads these days), but she hoped that everything would
eventually work itself out. Her boyfriend of five years at the time was there
in her small little town, so she thought all was not lost just yet. Perhaps,
maybe a proposal was the next step. Upon her return home, the days passed slowly and nothing seemed
to go her way. But then one day after being a substitute teacher, she
miraculously was offered a full time position as a school teacher. Much different than the law school plan, but she went with it. She just knew that
things were looking up. But just when life started getting better, confusion and
hardship started to engulf her personal life. Her relationship with her
boyfriend began to spiral, and she had a feeling that it was her fault somehow.
So one cold December night she reluctantly decided to end the relationship because
things just were not right. Nonetheless, she blamed herself for the split, and
beat herself up for it to no end. Like most girls her age, she quickly changed her mind and decided she didn’t want to be broken up after all. Then things went crazy. She heard all sorts
of rumors (that’s what small towns are notorious for, after all) about her
relationship that made her think that maybe the demise of her relationship
really wasn’t her fault like she had first thought. But no matter, she didn’t let pesky rumors destroy her
love for her ex-boyfriend. She spent the next few months begging and pleading
to be reunited with this boy. Oh, young love. To make a long story short, this
girl went through the wringer. The break-up and confusion in her life caused her
to reach a low so deep, she had even become suicidal. Life just wasn’t going her way. This girl was a lost little soul at the time. The heartache she
suffered was too hard for her to handle. She tried digging herself out of this
depression, so she decided to go on a church retreat. It was there that a small
seed was planted, like so many seeds had been planted before in her life. She returned
with an “I can change the world” attitude, which made her fight even harder in
her quest to get her old flame back. She still didn’t want to give up. However,
only more begging and pleading ensued. She just knew she could change his mind
so that he could fit into her plan, a plan that she just knew was best for the
both of them. Just think of Cinderella’s step-sister trying to squeeze on that glass slipper. She was going to make that shoe fit no matter what. (Don’t all young girls think like this? Bless their hearts.) But
then life took yet another turn. It was now the summer after their break-up,
and he told her that he got someone pregnant; it was a girl that she thought
had been her friend. This broke her heart into a million
more pieces. But no matter. She still loved him. Months passed, and after her
ex-boyfriend had become a father, she finally realized that it was time to move on with
her life. (Thank you, Jesus, homegirl finally got a clue.) In her quest to start
a new life, she figured it was time for her to leave that small town
to start anew. She found a job in a big city and was scared and excited,
flooded with emotions that were bittersweet. Immediately, she needed to talk to
her old best friend, that infamous ex-boyfriend, to get his reassurance that
all would be okay. They never really stopped being friends with each other (even though she had vowed to indeed move on), and
they had reached a point where they were at peace with the way things were. Crazy kids. So she called him to let him know of her big move. He was excited for
her new plans and wanted her to follow her dreams. A week after that
conversation, she was getting cold feet again about her upcoming move. Who do
you think she wanted to call? You guessed it. She called him, but she knew he
wouldn’t answer. It was a Saturday night after all. She left a voicemail. The
next morning when she woke up, she had a voicemail waiting for her in return.
She was satisfied with the message so she went about her day. It was a Sunday.
(The rest of that day stayed with her for what seemed like eternity.) Life was changing, but she thought she had it in order. She would move to a new city, stay friends with her old love, and hope for the best. Later
that morning, her best girlfriend called her to give her news that rocked her
world. That news shattered the lives of a lot of people that day. That news was
that her ex-boyfriend and a friend of his had passed away in a tragic house
fire early that morning. It was beyond devastating to her, and she didn’t quite
know how to process it all. It crushed her soul to lose her first love. Even
though they weren’t a couple at the time, she had lost one of her very best
friends, a friend whom she loved relentlessly. She mourned his life and wept
for his family and all who were affected by this great tragedy.
Britt Nicole has a song called “All This Time” with
opening lyrics that exquisitely convey the feelings she went through:
opening lyrics that exquisitely convey the feelings she went through:
I remember the moment, I remember the pain
I was only a girl, but I grew up that day
Tears were falling
I know You saw me
Hiding there in my bedroom, so alone
I was doing my best, trying to be strong
No one to turn to
That’s when I met You
You might or might not have guessed, but I was the young
girl in that story. It was the first time I had experienced losing someone I
loved to a death. It was a heartache that I had never felt before, and it hurt
more than I ever knew I could hurt. All the plans I had made for my life
definitely didn’t include what had just happened. But in that moment, things
began to change for me. I really did meet God that day. I had known God all my
life, being brought up in the church and all, but I had never truly KNOWN Him.
It was when I was at my weakest that I truly began my relationship with the one
who gave me life. Don’t get me wrong. It was a struggle. I was in a fog for a
good three years after this life-altering heartbreak. I had made myself
physically sick not dealing with my emotions, trying to hide the pain. But God
had planted several seeds along the way that came to fruition over time.
Slowly, I healed. I finally gave it over to Him. And I became dependent on God’s love. I became a believer of
His miracles, because He transformed me into a new person. I knew that God
loved me and He was going to take care of me. That’s all I needed to be a happy
person again. Even though my heart had been broken, I knew He was creating a
beautiful, new life for me. Even though my dreams had changed and evolved, I
trusted that God’s way was the only way. Grace is what saved me. Grace is God taking your broken heart and building something new. “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth,
do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the
desert.” Isaiah 43:19
girl in that story. It was the first time I had experienced losing someone I
loved to a death. It was a heartache that I had never felt before, and it hurt
more than I ever knew I could hurt. All the plans I had made for my life
definitely didn’t include what had just happened. But in that moment, things
began to change for me. I really did meet God that day. I had known God all my
life, being brought up in the church and all, but I had never truly KNOWN Him.
It was when I was at my weakest that I truly began my relationship with the one
who gave me life. Don’t get me wrong. It was a struggle. I was in a fog for a
good three years after this life-altering heartbreak. I had made myself
physically sick not dealing with my emotions, trying to hide the pain. But God
had planted several seeds along the way that came to fruition over time.
Slowly, I healed. I finally gave it over to Him. And I became dependent on God’s love. I became a believer of
His miracles, because He transformed me into a new person. I knew that God
loved me and He was going to take care of me. That’s all I needed to be a happy
person again. Even though my heart had been broken, I knew He was creating a
beautiful, new life for me. Even though my dreams had changed and evolved, I
trusted that God’s way was the only way. Grace is what saved me. Grace is God taking your broken heart and building something new. “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth,
do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the
desert.” Isaiah 43:19
Britt Nicole’s song goes on to say:
All this time, from the first tear cried
‘Till today’s sunrise
And every single moment between
You were there, You were always there
It was You and I
You’ve been walking with me all this time
Even though I struggled during the first real
heartbreak of my life, He was always there and every single moment between. It
was His Grace that pulled me through the darkest of days. Grace is saying,
“Jesus, I don’t know which way is up, but I need you to help me.” And
then you get through it. You make it through. You keep taking one breath in and
one breath out, and you just make it. One. Step. At. A. Time. That’s grace. I
even told this story to my husband on our first date, and he still married me.
Now if that’s not God’s grace, then I don’t know what is. Never in a million years would I have thought I would have the life I do now: a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter, and a really magnificent life. But that’s what God does. He restores.
heartbreak of my life, He was always there and every single moment between. It
was His Grace that pulled me through the darkest of days. Grace is saying,
“Jesus, I don’t know which way is up, but I need you to help me.” And
then you get through it. You make it through. You keep taking one breath in and
one breath out, and you just make it. One. Step. At. A. Time. That’s grace. I
even told this story to my husband on our first date, and he still married me.
Now if that’s not God’s grace, then I don’t know what is. Never in a million years would I have thought I would have the life I do now: a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter, and a really magnificent life. But that’s what God does. He restores.
It’s been my understanding that each of us has experienced a
heartache so deep, a heartache that shakes us so violently, that we don’t know
if we’ll be able to stand after it’s all said and done. (Heck, for some of us
it may be more than one heartache.) It doesn’t matter what that heartache is
for you; heartache is heartache. It looks different for all of us. But with a
firm belief that God will see you through, you CAN do all things through Christ
who strengthens you. Of course, going through a heart break or an agonizing
time is never easy. But with each trial, it’s a chance to strengthen your
bond with Christ. He WILL see you through it. Just like weight lifters must
lift more weight to build more muscle, we must endure more trials to build a
closer relationship with our Lord. Had it not have been for that hurricane of a
season in my life, I would not be who I am today. It’s when I learned that I
could weather any storm that I faced. I’ve weathered many storms since then,
and I know I will continue to face many more challenges throughout my life.
Thankfully, His grace has undoubtedly shown me who my anchor is and that He
will get me through each time. Grace is that moment when you let go and let
God. It’s that moment when you have no clue why you’re going through the
hardship you’re facing, but you choose to praise Him anyway. That’s grace.
heartache so deep, a heartache that shakes us so violently, that we don’t know
if we’ll be able to stand after it’s all said and done. (Heck, for some of us
it may be more than one heartache.) It doesn’t matter what that heartache is
for you; heartache is heartache. It looks different for all of us. But with a
firm belief that God will see you through, you CAN do all things through Christ
who strengthens you. Of course, going through a heart break or an agonizing
time is never easy. But with each trial, it’s a chance to strengthen your
bond with Christ. He WILL see you through it. Just like weight lifters must
lift more weight to build more muscle, we must endure more trials to build a
closer relationship with our Lord. Had it not have been for that hurricane of a
season in my life, I would not be who I am today. It’s when I learned that I
could weather any storm that I faced. I’ve weathered many storms since then,
and I know I will continue to face many more challenges throughout my life.
Thankfully, His grace has undoubtedly shown me who my anchor is and that He
will get me through each time. Grace is that moment when you let go and let
God. It’s that moment when you have no clue why you’re going through the
hardship you’re facing, but you choose to praise Him anyway. That’s grace.
All this time, Uncle Lewis from Christmas Vacation had it exactly right. Grace certainly is the
blessing.
blessing.
Beautiful. You got my tears going a little bit lol
Aww, thanks, Daisy! :) Tears are good for the soul!
What a powerful testimony of the healing power of grace! He will fill our biggest void and heal our deepest hurt. I'm so glad you shared this beautiful story of hope at the Saturday Soiree Blog Party!!! I'm inspired!
Thanks so much, Sarah Ann! I am so happy to hear that this inspired you! I just re-read it and I got excited about God's grace all over again. Thank you so much for the linkup and for stopping by. ;)