{being real + grace} / Clarissa Doesn't Explain it All.

A few days ago, my sweet friend{you know who you are} gave me one of the largest compliments I have had up to date.

The conversation went along the lines of this:

Friend: "You are one of my favorite people"

Me: "Oh. Well thank you! I can not imagine why though!"

Friend: "Well, because you are real."

You are real.

Can I just say this compliment hit me like a ton of bricks? To be real is one of my biggest wants because, frankly, there was a time in my life where I wasn't. I was extremely selfish and prideful. My "real" was making my life cookie cutter and "perfect" with my ideal Jesus, who fit in the places I wanted Him to. He was an addition, not the whole package. It did not involve humility and sincere apologies, rather turmoil and hurtful actions to those I cared about. I don't particularly care for that gal any longer.

Circa April.2012: a girl wrapped up in her own ideas and emotions.

I find this compliment to be completely orchestrated by the Lord, because on this same day of the compliment, I was going to be real with someone who I had selfishly hurt in my "all about me" days.

It was a prompting by the Lord, to stay real and remember to be humble.

y'all, Being real, is messy.

And I am not a huge fan of messy...besides the top drawers in both my desk and dresser. Those are junk drawers, they don't count right?

Back to the point.

I was going to have to be messy and show my heart. And if that meant crying, I best put on some glasses so my contacts didn't irritate my eyes. And if I felt uncomfortable, I was to keep on keeping on. Whatever I was going to say, the Lord had already orchestrated. If I didn't feel I was saying my thoughts as eloquent as I had rehearsed in my head, it was okay. Jesus knew my heart.

And while Being real and messy+uncomfortable+awkward, I was met with grace.

Nothing I said happened the way I planned it out... The way I had planned it out in my head, didn't even remotely occur. Yet, its okay. I had an opportunity to share my heart with a person who could of easily {and understandably} blew me off + make it clear that I didn't deserve the time of day from them.

That didn't happen and I was blessed with gracious listening ears.

This person took time out of their day to listen to me talk about something that was uncomfortable from the past that could of just as easily been brushed under the carpet.

This person chose to show + give me grace, like Jesus does. Each and every day.

If being real means anything, it is this, grace is a daily necessity. I know I need some {a lot} from the moment my feet hit the floor each morning. And I am tremendously grateful I was shown this kind of grace, earlier this week.

This blog is meant for Blunders and a lot times I wrap things up in nice little bows to make them come off better or wait to write until I can control the emotional aspect. But lets be real, for real.

We only see God's grace when we are real.