Meeting grace

“I do not understand the mystery of grace — only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.” ~Anne Lamott

After I shared a post about preparing for a biopsy on Friday, several of you emailed to offer words of support and encouragement. One of those messages arrived when I was in the waiting room prior to the procedure, lifting my spirits and boosting my courage.

In Friday’s post, I shared a quote I’d found on a teabag, which read, “The unknown is where all outcomes are possible; enter it with grace.” On the morning of the biopsy, I found myself repeating that phrase in my mind.

The word “grace,” in particular, has always sounded beautiful yet enigmatic to me. It isn’t easy to define in the spiritual sense. Some dictionaries refer to grace as an “undeserved favor,” something that can’t be earned but is freely or divinely given. Even Anne Lamott, the Christian memoirist who wrote today’s quote, admits that she doesn’t understand “the mystery of grace.”  

The young medical assistant who prepared me for the biopsy was especially kind. She carefully explained the procedure, when to expect the results, and how I’d feel when the anesthetic wore off. If I had any questions later on, she said, I could call the office and ask for her. No matter what the outcome, she added, everything would work out. As we talked, my pulse stopped racing and I began to calm down.

I thanked her for taking the time to reassure me, and asked for her name — just in case I’d need to call her afterward. “I’m Grace,” she said.

~Cindy La Ferle