And, Yet Grace.

Today is Wednesday.  For the last fifty-two weeks, I have taken my boy's photo for Project Orson on Wednesdays.  Before that it was Saturdays, and before that it was Fridays.  These projects are so much more than pictures, to me.  The one thing that I was so adamant about.  The one thing that made sense every week, when some weeks didn't.  The one thing I didn't quit.  'Cause you know, sometimes we momma's fail.

Failing.  It seems this season has seen it's fair share of failings.  I tend to be an organizer, a planner, and a dreamer.  And this past season has seemed to be a little muddled by disorganization, changed plans, and feelings of settling.  Can anyone relate?  I think it culminated for me earlier this week.  After a whirlwind weekend and not checking e-mails, I didn't realize it was Yellow Day at school.  My Ila was the black jean and leopard print sheep amidst a sea of yellow.

Sounds rather riduclous, but it has really bothered me since.  I sent that photo to my best friend and in not so many words entitled it #momfail.  She laughed with me, but then was a really huge encouragement.  She sent me this video, which is actually an IKEA Christmas commercial from last year.

This message has been pulsating through me the past couple of days.  Our kids do not care, period.  They don't care if they have elaborate birthday parties or perfect __________.  What a hard truth to swallow today, at least for this momma.  I love a curated party, a perfectly propped photo, or dare I even spout... a Pinterest worthy moment.  But my kids, well, they don't.  They are okay with little, if it means we are together.  Gosh.

This week, I was challenged to memorize John 1:16, "For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."  We can fail, and fail, and fail and yet, grace.  And, yet grace.  Today, I am choosing to be okay with the fact that sometimes we fail, because we forget what is really important.  A self-inflicted failure, if I must.  It may take us until next year to finish our We Tell Stories project that we started last month.  And maybe it didn't matter that that happy, content girl was the only one in leopard.

Perhaps the lesson here, though, is that we simply need to be reminded again and again and again of God's grace.  His grace that is over and over again.  Grace for ourselves, grace for others, grace, grace, grace.  I can think of about a billion ways that I need to be more graceful today.  So, as we approach an even crazier season, may I, may we... if known by anything, be known by grace.