Following the challenge from Lori Harris’ blog, I’m going to attempt to share my own story of Grace in 31 days.  I can’t promise that, while Grace is a beautiful thing, every post will leave you with smiles.  In fact, some of them may leave you (like me) wondering where Grace went.  I also can’t promise that I will be as diligent to post everyday.

Day 1: In the Screeching of Brakes

I know they say that grand-kids are the apple of their grandparents’ eyes, but for me, Granddaddy was the apple of mine!  While Grandmomma tended to invest her time and energy into whoever was the baby at the time, Granddaddy had this way of making each of us feel like we were his best friend.  So, it was no surprise that when he left the backyard to go check the mail that I would want to go wherever he was going to be.  The story goes…

Your Granddaddy walked towards the mailbox, you took off toddling behind him.  (I was only about two years old.)  Grandmomma hollered out to him, “She’s coming with you, Elmer.”  I guess he just didn’t hear her because he went on across the road, knowing he had time to get across it before the truck had time to get there.  You went toddling behind him.  I was in our house (across the road) and heard the screeching of brakes.  My heart dropped, I knew something had just happened to one of you girls.  I took off running.  The driver got out of his truck, confused.  He just kept saying, “I never saw her.  I don’t even remember hitting the brakes.”  You, my dear, were spared that day.  The Lord left you hear for a reason.  Determine your purpose.

In the midst of one scared momma, one naive toddler, a bewildered truck driver… Grace came in the screeching of brakes.  My mom used to retell that story to me on days when I could not figure out what on Earth I was purposed for, if anything.  I find joy in recounting it to people who are driving 55 miles per hour down our road, assuming that’s the speed limit.  “No sir, I’m the reason it’s 45 out here.”  That day was darker for Moma, Grandmomma, and Granddaddy that it was me.  I was just a cute kid following her Granddaddy.  It’s the years that would follow that God-kissed experienced that would sweep in the darkness for me.