The opening track of my latest album Sacred Stillness is titled, “With Grace”. I would like to say that I wrote this piece of music for you, but the honest truth is, I wrote this piece of music for myself. I created it to remind myself to try to live each day, and each moment of each day, “With Grace”
So what exactly is Grace? It's a word that gets bandied around a lot, especially at times like Easter. According to the dictionary Grace is:
“the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God. the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them. a virtue or excellence of divine origin”
While this definition may well explain where Grace originates, for me, Grace is something more personal, something that goes beyond religion or spirituality…. although, if these things are what inspire you to live with Grace, then that's a positive thing.
For me, it's more about taking personal responsibility for my choices and actions in each moment of each day. How I speak, how I think, what I choose to believe in, how I choose to treat others, and how I choose to walk through this world.
I liked this little summary that Google offered when asked about Grace...
How to Show Grace to Others
Words. Be kind and gentle in what you say and how you say it. ...
Look for Needs and Opportunities. simple everyday kindnesses and actions often help in great ways. ...
Let it Go. Letting it go is one of the easiest ways to extend grace to others.
Be There. ...
Forgive. ...
Learn to Ask for Forgiveness. ...
Watch the Way You Speak. ...
Gratitude.
I'm certainly not implying for a moment that I have mastered all of these things. If I had, I’m sure I would have ascended to somewhere by now! The truth is, I’m still learning to live with Grace. As one of my favorite quotes says, “In the life of the Spirit, we are always at the beginning.”
But at least now I have a piece of my own music to remind me of my aspirations 👼
Listen to the full version of “With Grace” on Soundcloud here:
https://soundcloud.com/richard-goldsworthy-1/with-grace
Or listen on Spotify here:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7u0pjFppo9NST28GyS779M?si=DdM0kbewTCmaEh0dYusWeA
Or on Apple Music here:
https://music.apple.com/album/id/1540707939
Or explore more of my latest album “Sacred Stillness” here:
https://www.richardgoldsworthy.net/product/sacred-stillness
and 💛 to my beautiful friend Melody Jansz for the stunning photograph!
