Grace Unplugged

 

Day 7 - Grace Unplugged

 

Today I had a great mom/daughter date with my eldest daughter. After church we changed into casual clothes and tried out the new Panera Bread. The really great thing about having church at 9 and Sunday School at 10 is that we are out by 11ish and can eat out without having to wait in line. I had heard good things about their mac & cheese, and I was not disappointed. The bread it came with was tasty as well, and my daughter enjoyed her sandwich.

Our movie theater is connected to our mall, so we did a little shopping before going to a movie. So far, I'm not impressed with the fall clothing offerings. Neither was my daughter. I'm hoping the stores we didn't yet go to have something that's more my style.

We then saw Grace Unplugged. We both enjoyed the movie and thought it was well-done. As a parent of a daughter who is not much younger than Grace in the movie, I was thankful for the reminder to be gradually relinquishing my daughter to God.

 I also was struck by how much grief and pain the characters could have saved themselves had they truly sought to listen to and understand each other rather than just trying to convince each other that they were right. I want to be a mom, a wife, a friend that doesn't let my own fears and insecurities keep me from really hearing the hearts and hopes and dreams of those closest to me. And I want to encourage them and help them achieve their God-given dreams, even when I don't share those dreams. Even if I wish God would give them different dreams. Because I know that God doesn't give me the power to choose their dreams, but He has given me the ability to either crush or nurture those dreams. May I always be a nurturer and not a naysayer!