"Last night took an L, but tonight I bounce back". My theme song lately has been Bounce Back by Big Sean. For those who don't know it, I would suggest you look up the clean version. I must say it's quite inspiring. It's all about recovery and how to be resilient after things fail. An 'L' or a loss, can be described as many things: getting a bad grade on an assignment, slipping on the ice in front of a guy you like, publicly embarrassing yourself, drinking way too much at a party, or even literally losing a game that you were working so hard to win. Either way, we have all experienced losing. No matter the form of it, we have the opportunity to not accept defeat. Considering making mistakes is inevitable, the focus is more on how you get back up, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" [1]. Of course, there are several mechanisms to utilize to get you back on your feet, but today I am going to tell you my secret: everyone, say hi to my BFF, Grace.

I first met Grace back in the Kindergarten days. In order to be more precise, I met her at Children's Church. I was taught that her friendship was free and that she'd never leave me. For a long time, I knew very little of her. Her name would always get thrown around, and everyone constantly mentioned traits of her character, but I still didn't know her for myself. It wasn't until senior year of high school when I became well acquainted with Grace.

I am going to be honest with you. Many people don't know this about me, but I have a bit of a rebellious side. I didn't really see it manifest until late middle school, but it developed into something bigger later in life. I was constantly seeking male attention and occasionally going to parties. There were countless amounts of L's taken during this time, especially on the senior spring break trip. My most recent mistakes involve the Greek Life scene at college. Considering the past years, I have been dragging my friend, Grace, around on a leash wherever I went. She was there when I messed up and she never kept any record of right and wrong. She waited and stayed there after I finished sinning, just to bring me safely back home. She was always there when I needed her, and I knew for a fact that she would always be there for future shortcomings.

I am sure we've all heard the expression, "you never know what something's worth until it's gone". I would even go as far as to claim we all have experienced the validity of this statement in our personal lives. I am telling the truth when I say, I have taken Grace for granted. Imagine if you were someone who was used all of the time, just because people knew that you would allow them to take advantage of you. It's like the Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon . You let someone slide the first time, so they keep coming back, expecting even more. This is how we treat Grace. She's not just my friend, she's yours too. I am sure you have recognized her. She's about 2,017 years old. Her Father gave her to us after her brother -- His Son was brutally beaten, chastised, humiliated, and nailed for our sake. He died a terrible death, just for our L's. Now, of course, this sacrifice should not be undermined, forgotten, or disrespected. However, I wonder how Grace and her big brother feel about me and the rest of us, when we dishonor their lives by not recognizing their goodness, or even worse knowing their worth and still continue to spit on it, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" [2]. If I were Grace, it would get to a point where I would block us on all social media, delete our contact, and completely drop out of our lives. What if God's grace stopped existing? Let your imagination run wild with this idea. When I speak for myself, I can tell you that I would be in deep doo doo.

There are certain things in this life that we do not deserve. Sometimes, we are given what we could not have earned by our own doings, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" [3]. Yet, when we make a mistake, that gift always comes in handy to put us back on track, but we have to be conscious about how we're using it. My personal theory is: we start realizing the value of Grace when we realize the value of ourselves. Even though Grace is a free gift, we will spend our entire lives paying the price off.

My friends, He is so good! Nothing can wash away our sins except for His holy blood. He forgives the awful things that we do. He loves us even when we deliberately walk in disobedience. His Grace is sufficient in us! The Son died for your loses and mine, even when we don't deserve it. Next time, when you hear that voice to not do something you shouldn't be doing, listen to it so you can respect your BFF, Grace and her big brother, Christ.

[1] Romans 3:23, The Holy Bible - King James Version

[2] Romans 6:1, The Holy Bible - King James Version

[3] Ephesians 2:8-9, The Holy Bible - King James Version