I'm joining Lisa-Jo's writing party, where bloggers around the globe write for five minutes without editing on one word. The word of the day is GRACEFUL.
Before I begin, I found it necessary to define graceful and it's root word grace. Thank you, dictionary.com, for a bit of inspiration.
grace·ful
adjective
characterized by elegance or beauty of form, manner, movement, or speech; elegant
I'm joining Lisa-Jo's writing party, where bloggers around the globe write for five minutes without editing on one word. The word of the day is GRACEFUL.
Before I begin, I found it necessary to define graceful and it's root word grace. Thank you, dictionary.com, for a bit of inspiration.
grace·ful
characterized by elegance or beauty of form, manner, movement, or speech; elegant
grace
noun
1.
elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action
Synonyms: attractiveness, charm, gracefulness,comeliness, ease, lissomeness, fluidity.
2.
a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment
3.
favor or goodwill
Synonyms: kindness, kindliness, love, benignity; condescension.
4.
a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior
Synonyms: forgiveness, charity, mercifulness. Antonyms:animosity, enmity, disfavor.
5.
mercy; clemency; pardon
Synonyms: lenity, leniency, reprieve.Antonyms: harshness.
Graceful I am not. When I think of someone who radiates gracefullness I think of someone who is soft spoken, well dressed, with a good posture and stunningly beautiful. Me? I can be a little loud. My normal attire is jeans and a t-shirt which usually has a spot of coffee or flour or some other tale-tell sign of what I've been working on in the kitchen. I am far from "put together".
However lately, when I hear the word graceful, my thoughts turn to being full of grace. Being full of grace has it's own unique beauty. Jesus dying on the cross was not beautiful. The fact that he was bestowing grace on me while he was dying? That is beautiful.
I may not have the beauty and grace of Audrey Hepburn but if I can show grace to others, the same grace that my Heavenly Father shows me everyday, despite my shortcomings, that is the only kind of beauty I aspire to obtain.
However lately, when I hear the word graceful, my thoughts turn to being full of grace. Being full of grace has it's own unique beauty. Jesus dying on the cross was not beautiful. The fact that he was bestowing grace on me while he was dying? That is beautiful.
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I may not have the beauty and grace of Audrey Hepburn but if I can show grace to others, the same grace that my Heavenly Father shows me everyday, despite my shortcomings, that is the only kind of beauty I aspire to obtain.
Beautifully written!!! I absolutely loved your description of the ever-so-typical mom 'uniform' complete with a coffee stain. I can defintely identify with that. But, yes, well done! (also, I'm here from FMF, too)
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGrace brings beauty forward. That's how I've always thought of it anyway. It draws what's within out. and friend, you are beautiful. You're a Grace-filled beauty. coffee stains and all :) So honored to call you friend!
ReplyDeleteThank you, friends, for your encouraging words! I'd like to think that every time I dribble a little coffee onto my shirt God is shaking his head while laughing and gently saying, "Oh, Laurie, you're so you. That's why I love you." That's grace! May you each be filled abundantly with His grace.
ReplyDeleteIt is beautifully written indeed - only it didn't answer my question of what is the difference between gracefully and full of grace... :-)
ReplyDeleteAs English is not my native language and I am not a Christian either, I am trying to find out whether the two means the same in English. Because in my language (Hungarian) they mean two very different things.
I know you have "Hail Mary, Full of Grace" (Ave Maria, gratia plena) and that is clearly a religious context - but would you also use "full of grace" to replace "gracefully" in an everyday sentence, like "A beautiful woman was walking in the garden full of grace"?
Thanks in advance.