Grace

Just because I don't believe in Big Daddy God up in the sky, doesn't mean I don't believe in anything and if I do believe in anything, I think I would have to label it grace.
And I'm not even sure what grace is although I think it has something to do with unexpected gifts that fall to us even when we may not have earned them or asked for them or even known we wanted or needed them.
Blessings that just fall from the sky like the sudden shower of droplets that fell on me from the leaves of the tree I was walking under this morning where they had lain in wait since last night's rain for just that moment, just that breeze, to complete their fall to earth. It was at once an illustration of grace and an actual grace, to see all those shining drops and to look up at the leaves bathed in sunlight, tossing the water off of themselves. It startled me at first, and then it delighted me and I think grace is like that, so unexpected that it's like a tiny miracle and one we have to keep our eyes open to see, our hearts open to feel, our souls open to receive.
I feel like that today. Like my heart is opening a little bit and able to receive grace. I wonder what sort of blessings I would receive if my heart were open all the way, if I did not keep my soul and eyes shut out of fear or ignorance or habit.
It's something to think about.
And it's what I'm thinking about.
I just thought I'd offer that one up and maybe say that I'm grateful, I'm ever so grateful, for any grace that falls on me, in whatever form it takes and I'm going to try and pay attention because it just seems wrong to miss these gifts, in whatever shining form they take.