A Few Wee Nuggets

Dealing with loss doesn’t often touch our lives until it does.

Compassion is a Jesus quality we all carry with us—sometimes untapped. I personally have experienced this in a truly profound way this last year.

My takeaways have been these two simple nuggets.

Nugget #1: Good Counsel

My first nugget would be good counsel—like that of my dear friend and priest, Billy, along with counsel from solid believers who offer wise advice.

There is, however, a big difference between wise counsel and unsolicited advice. I only say this because I’ve certainly given my share of unsolicited advice before!

As believers, we are called to live by Jesus’ standard, which is loving and comforting.

Nugget #2: Love much!

One of my favorite verses is the one I think of as the

“Jumbo Jet verse”:

“She who has been forgiven much loves much.” Luke 7:47

I’m often reminded of this twice a day by my clock. I smile and say, “Oh yes, Grady—love because you’ve been forgiven so much!”

It helps me keep my focus on the main thing.

I realize all of this is much easier said than actually done and carried out in life. And I would say these words to you just as much as I say them to myself:

Hey, Grady—change your focus.

Jesus Is Everything

Jesus—or Jesu, as the Frenchies say—is everything to us, even when things are brutally tough, lonely, confusing, or painful.

I’m someone whose tank gets filled by connecting with other people on a daily basis.

Simply by greeting strangers. Saying, “How about them Reds?” Or as my dear friend Ken Cole taught me, when you see a Vietnam veteran in public, catch their attention, look them in the eye, and say, “Welcome home.”

Because, you know, as humans, we all desire to be met in a relational, loving way.

We simply want to be seen, acknowledged, and valued.

This comes straight from the guy we all love—the One who didn’t give a rat’s about who He hung out with or who was feeding Him. He was always pointing out the things that were significant.

Over and over and over again.

This is our mission as believers: to love the unlovable.

It’s really easy to love the lovable.

These were my takeaways from this last beautiful summer.

Thank you, and mucho love!