Today, I am so grateful to be joining Lisa Jo and this gracious, precious community of bloggers who bare open their souls to share raw and true what pours from their hearts through their fingers, writing for just 5 minutes, after reading the word prompt. Today the word is GRACEFUL.

It’s a number of years ago. It was during winter Olympics.

I was watching a famous Olympic woman ice skater. She was gliding across the ice, beautifully, gracefully, freely.

She was free. That is what I thought as I sat on the edge of my bed and watched. She is free. Completely at ease being herself. Nothing holding her back. I want to be free like that.

I cried. I prayed. I asked God why I was locked in this prison — with the hope of greatness locked up inside. Not greatness for my own sake — but to be a carrier of His.

The next day I went to a service at a church I have never been. At the end they made a call for prayer — and I left. Ready to go hide, again. Except this time, I couldn’t stay gone.

I came back — one step in front of the other — I went forward, and I stood before a woman of God.

The first thing she said to me, as I stood before her with my eyes on the ground, “I see ice skating.”

Ice skating?

“I see ice skating, gliding freely, beautifully over the ice.” She continued, “You don’t have any idea of the favor on your life. You are called to bring grace and beauty. God has given you a creative intelligent mind. It’s fear of failure that is holding you back. Do not be afraid of it, but go forward.”

That was almost 10 years ago. I am not an ice skater. I never wanted to be. But I am a blogger and a writer, and I never thought I’d be. But here I am — going forward — full of His grace.