Grace

In honor of my daughter’s upcoming birthday, I went back through some of my very first journals that I wrote in a spiral bound notebook long before I started blogging. I found this one I wrote about her name sake many years ago. However, it still seemed appropriate today even though she will be SIX years old in a couple of days!!
 
Happy birthday Rebekah Grace! May you always know the gift you are to us and the gift He gave to you. You truly are my princess.
 
From the archives:
Our oldest daughter’s middle name is “Grace”. So is everyone’s else’s. Kaitlyn Grace, Olivia Grace, Alyna Grace, Destiny Grace, Chloe Grace and, of course, Rebekah Grace. Just in our small group alone, if one parent simply says “ *Muffled sound* Grace get in here.” Half of the girls are on their feet.
However, we didn’t choose “Grace” because of the fad. (I actually wanted our first girl’s name to be Grace Elizabeth. That would have also make her a GEM. But, Matt really hated Grace as a first name.) We chose “Grace” for her name to be a reminder of the most wonderful gift anyone could ever receive. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8) You see, grace (God giving us the gift of life) is what gets us into heaven. Without it, we are doomed, literally, to hell. So having a constant reminder in our daughter’s name helps me to remember that awesome gift.

Little did I know how frequently I would be reminded of that gift of grace. I don’t think there has been a day without hearing it. From the time she could crawl to present day she has at some point or another had her middle name used to reprimand her. “Rebekah Grace don’t touch that.” “Rebekah Grace don’t go in there.” “Rebekah Grace don’t eat that.” “Rebekah Grace don’t say that.”

It makes me wonder how many times God has had to tell me to not touch something. Not to go somewhere. Not to eat something. Not say something.

And you would think I would learn. Just like I would think she would learn. But no. I repeatedly make mistakes. Say things I regret later. Watch shows that shouldn’t even be on TV.  Eat things the scale reminds me I shouldn’t have enjoyed quite so much. Places I visit without researching more thoroughly. Mistakes. Trouble. Sins.

And just like I have to disciple my daughter, God had to discipline His daughter too.

So let’s not take this gift of grace so easily that we forget that it comes with discipline. Discipline that will make us better people. But discipline nonetheless.