(Photo by Selma Komisky)

Editor’s Note: September, 2021

By Sarah Komisky

Grace. If you are like me, it took you a bit of time to be able to comprehend the word. And, I might add, I’m just scratching the surface. But I learned to accept that is more than OK. For years I lived as a grace vagabond. Searching for meaning, clarity, and precision of the definition. I came up empty, frustrated, and even in pain. That was until God unveiled what was right in front of me all along. That itself was grace.

Maybe you are that way too. I find grace as human beings are something we have difficulty receiving and an easier time complicating. After all, we aren’t accustomed to it. For example, when have you heard of something being free? Hardly ever. So, we are used to the catch or at least aware of the strings attached. We’re skeptics and for valid reasons. Life has taught us that everything must be earned and if you are “good” enough, you’ll have a payoff. Hence, we spin the hamster wheel hoping to receive a bit of crumb when we work hard. And our spiritual lives become transactions with God. Bleak and burnout we end up wondering, what exactly is grace all about?

Friend, you’ve come to the right place. The grace of God is unlike any other experience. It’s not grandiose but it’s lavishing love, compassion, mercy, and kindness. You don’t have to work hard to attain it. And, it doesn’t come with nasty strings attached. No, God’s grace is rare. So rare that it took the rare sacrifice of God’s son to atone for what God knew we could never do ourselves. And when Jesus said “It is finished,” on the cross as He gave Himself for all our mistakes, sins, and worst secrets, He meant that He took care of that.

Students often look for complete loan forgiveness but think of complete sin forgiveness – for life (past, present, future). A life where you can live free, right with God! Now, that’s a major debt forgiven! Yet, many of us don’t quite know how to live that out, so we continue to work it out! Or, we take it lightly, living life on our terms and doing whatever we want in the name of “grace.” That’s not the intention either. Grace is such a beautiful and rare gift, we must treat it like that and live because of it. But maybe you are someone who has never opened this free gift. Think of it as your personal present, free of charge. If you acknowledge your need for it, you can accept it and live your life in it. But guess what? This gift keeps giving once you receive it, you can receive more anytime you need it. Endless. Priceless. Precious.

So, let’s talk about it! Here is a deeper look at the gift. We’ll unpackage many of the presents when it comes to the grace of God in this issue with our MM writers and photographers. We will dive deeper into the subject with our showcase interview with author, speaker, and grace-influencer, Rebekah Lyons! Also, we’ve included several book selections on the topics from some of our favorite October author friends.

Therefore, we want you to get comfy this fall and get some more grace in your life. It never runs out. And, if you are thinking, this is “too good to be true.” I might be the first to agree with you that grace can seem nonsensical. However, that’s because we aren’t seeing it through faith. Grace is the gift we have to try on and accept. Let me tell you, it’s greater than anything Amazon delivery or Stich Fix box. So open up, take it out, and wear it, no strings attached.

Welcome to The Grace Issue.

Sarah