When his grandmother was in her 70s and her husband was in his 90s she had done all she could to care for him at home, but eventually it was to difficult. So they moved him to a nursing facility near by. Shane’s grandmother had never had a drivers license, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her.
So every morning she would get up and walk 2.5 miles to the nursing home to sit by her husband’s side. There wasn’t much she could do, but she would sit with him and be present.
Every night when visiting hours were over, she would walk 2.5 miles home.
Each day (seven days a week) walking five miles – for two years.
When asked what it was like she said, “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life but it was my joy to be with him and I would have done it as many years as God would have let me.”
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
I remember in elementary school I was in the band. I played snare drum simply because I couldn’t play a wind or brass instrument thanks to my orthodontist work. When I first started out, I had to force the rhythm at times. I had to work on getting it right. But as I became familiar with the song and the drum, it became easier. Suddenly it wasn’t forced. It was natural.
The same happened when I took piano lessons. The more I did it, the less forced it was. The more natural it became. Now years later, it’s a real effort for me to sit and read music. There are a few songs that still come naturally to me – but don’t ask me to read the music for it – I’ll be lost in an instant. It’s because I’m out of practice and now what may have been unforced rhythm takes a lot of effort.
Throughout life I see this pattern over and over again.
Imagine grace becoming such a thing we’re so used to giving and receiving that it just comes natural. It’s just a natural rhythm of life. It isn’t a pain to give when asked. It isn’t a forced effort to smile at someone we’re not particularly found of. It isn’t unusual to accept the unacceptable or the unloved.
When grace becomes an unforced rhythm of life – suddenly we love those who least expect it and love those who lease deserve it.
Imagine what would happen if grace became an unforced rhythm of life just as music was to Evan in the movie August Rush? What if it just flowed from us each and every day?
