It is Saturday evening and this week’s end is rolling out sweet calm.  I am enjoying a wee bit of quiet while each kiddo and teen residing in this home are scattered about the house soaking up fringe hours in each delightful way.

Last weekend we headed out of town for a quick trip back to my hometown, and arrived back home just in time for me to do the monthly bread run for a ministry I am involved in.  The kids were a bit disappointed that we didn’t make it back in time for youth group, but all were thankful to be able to get to sleep earlier.

It is good to “go back home”, even when it is hard.  I’m learning that.  In the hot hard rubs of relational struggles I am slowing learning to look for grace, to dig for grace and to let myself be the conduit of grace.  For sure it is a clumsy, bent conduit.

Life is confirming many things that I have been learning over the years and lately.  A gentle answer does indeed take the sting out of a tense moment.  Pausing to give one more kind word gets more done relationally than I can knock off the to do list in twice the time.  Yes, this week I’ve needed to pause many times, dig quickly for more kind words and speak gentle grace over and over again.  And not necessarily because others around me pushing hard, but more often because I’m not slowing enough.

Do you ever find that?  That by slowing, pausing a bit, the gentle word comes more easily, kindness is more able to flow, and grace settles weary or tensed spirits?

It is good, in the sweet calm of a week’s end to spend a few moments reflecting.  I would love to hear what you may be pondering in the exhale of a full week.  Please, leave a comment and let’s encourage one another.