Never too old for...grace

On December 28, my husband and I will celebrate five smoke-free years. I get asked all the time how we broke that horrible habit. My husband struggled a bit and had to exert some extra self-discipline to make our cold turkey method work for him, but the whole quitting thing was very easy for me. The quitting was easy and the staying quit has been even easier.

Easy? How can that be? I have no answer other than to say anything's easy when grace is involved. My husband said he drew strength from me quitting which helped him persevere. But how did I quit? Me, with a very, very dedicated 20-year, one to two pack-a-day, habit?

I can only say it really wasn't me who quit. It was God's grace that allowed me to see my way to stop smoking. Without sounding preachy here, I want to say there's simply no way I quit under my own steam. I didn't have that kind of willpower when it came to cigarettes. Actually, I hadn't even been thinking about quitting when I did. A non-smoking lifestyle was simply handed to me and there will never be enough words to express my appreciation.

Grace is something wonderful that comes to us without our asking. It's a precious gift, a delicious surprise. Grace is like an unexpected guest who stays a night and upon departure, leaves behind a refrigerator filled with fresh, delectable food - without being asked for a thing.

The Rolling Stones knew about grace, singing, "You can't always get what you want...but sometimes...you just might find you get what you need."

Grace is something God knows we need and mercifully, He gives it freely. But as humans, we don't always recognize it. Has grace ever amazed you in your own life? If so, I'd love to hear from you. Just post a reply to this blog and please share your experience.

~ Until next time, don't act your age! ~