Grace!

I have decided that from here on out, I will be known as Anna Grace, and not just by Anna. I know I sign all my posts that way, but it is my intention to fully integrate that into my whole life, and here's why.

When I was little, I used to hate my name. It seemed so boring to me. But now I love it. I love the fact that I'm named for my great-grandmother. I love the fact that my first name means "grace" and my middle name is Grace. I love how beautiful it is when you put them together. Even more than that is the sheer meaning of it.

Names are prophetic. Their meanings speak into lives. That's why God changed Abram's name to Abraham, meaning "father of nations," long before Abraham had any children. Every time someone called to him, "Hey, Abraham!" speaking out that destiny called it forth into being.

Firstly, let me just say that I need grace. Lots and lots of grace. But so does the rest of the world. They are hungry and thirsty for it because so much of the Christian world denies it to them. They say, "Yes, we'll take you, but first change every little detail about your life because it doesn't suit us." And when they stumble or make an error, the community is so quick to say, "Well, obviously you aren't suited for a righteous life. So we're gonna have to let you go for the good of the rest of us." The church eats its wounded, and it's so wrong that it breaks my heart.

I am given in my name, a double portion of grace, and this is how I choose to take it, step into it, and walk in it. In Anna Grace, there is grace for me, and grace for the rest of the world. By taking my full name I receive enough grace for it to overflow to the hurting world around me.

Last night at church, God really touched me concerning this. We were singing this song. I think it's from one of the Psalms, but the first part goes, "There is a river whose streams make glad the city of our God." The second part, though, was what God dropped into my heart and said, "This is for you."

"There is a fountain full of Grace, and it flows from Emmanuel's veins."
Grace. That's me. I'm in Him, He's in me, flowing Jesus' blood full of Grace all the way over me and through me, and I flow directly from Him. The picture I got was so beautiful and personal that I almost cried. I'm not a crier. Really, really not a crier. But it was just God whispering to me, "See, Grace? This is who you are."

"It came and it healed me. It came and refreshed me. It came and washed my sins away."
This is what Grace is for. This is what Grace does. Heals, refreshes, washes away sins. It was such a resounding revelation and confirmation of my identity and purpose that it took my breath away. There is such thirst in the world for this kind of grace, and it's my purpose to bring it to them because God has given me an abundance.
I am Anna Grace. And this is what I do.

Peace out.
--Anna Grace