Grace + Grit
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For several years now I have considered starting a blog but wasn’t quite sure what to call it or how to even go about it. I just knew that based on my experiences in Guatemala and what I have seen thus far, I wanted a way of journaling it all and what better way to do that then to share it with others! The inspiration for the title, “Grace + Grit,” comes from a book that my mother recently referenced called, Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit. The book comes from a series called “Great Lives Series” authored by Charles R. Swindoll.
Rose and I had the distinct pleasure of having my mother, Stacey, with us for the last month here in Guatemala. We were traveling back from a weekend youth conference at Palabra de Vida, a retreat center located in Chiquimulilla, Guatemala, about 6 hours south of where we live. The majority of the trip home was spent talking about the highs and lows of our time at Palabra de Vida. The retreat center is fixed right on the edge of a small lake about 1 hour from Guatemala’s coastline and black sand beaches. Palabra de Vida is a ministry that has retreat centers located across 80 different countries including Costa Rica, the United States and Nicaragua to name a few. The weekend youth conference was organized by myself and other youth leaders from a local ministry and church in our hometown of San Cristobal Verapaz. More than 40 youth and young adults attended the event. The theme for the weekend was the life and ministry of Jesus Christ with an emphasis on Salvation. The conference was generously funded by Hershey Free Church of Hershey, Pennsylvania.
As we were winding to and fro around the sharp bends through the mountains, making our way from Baja Verapaz to the highlands of Alta Verapaz, my mother mentioned something, saying “we need grace and grit.” I can’t recall exactly what she was commenting on but in that moment, I responded with “I love that! Grace and grit! We should put that on a t-shirt! You don’t have any claim to that, do you?!” She responded and went on to explain where she has heard that phrase. In that moment, I said, “That’s it! That’s going to be the title of my blog.”
Often times there is this assumption that as Christians, we are expected to be sensitive, forgiving, humble, etc. and to others that may be perceived as “weakness.” I am not saying that we shouldn’t practice those things, in fact, all throughout God’s Word, He speaks of the importance of those attributes and commands us of such. However, it is important that as we live out those characteristics and respond with GRACE to those arounds us, that we do not sacrifice our strength and our GRIT. If I have learned anything from the recent news headlines and living on the mission field, it takes a level of GRIT to survive and to thrive. Our current world glorifies self, independence and individuality. It’s unpopular and uncommon to put others first but there is no greater theme than that of humility and selflessness in the Bible.
The Holy Bible is filled with stories of individuals who exemplified GRACE and GRIT, Jesus being chief of them all! I challenge you to this week to lean into God’s GRACE and practice some GRIT where GRIT is needed.