We are half-way through our discussion of Grace for the Good Girl. This week we’ve only got one chapter. There is just so much to think about at this half-way point, I thought it would be a good chance to take a breath.
I long for the beauty of Eden while surrounded by the shadows of earth. Things were made good, but a lie undid them. There are three things in this chapter that continue to undo me.
1. God put two trees in the Garden. Actually he put more than two, but he pointed out two specifically. He knew what that meant. He knew putting a forbidden tree was a risk, the worst kind of risk. Seeing how things turned out, there is something in me that wants to point back at God and tell him what a bad parent he is. How could you let your children do that!? The Garden God was not a helicopter parent. He did not make his decisions out of fear but out of love.
This is part one of my undoing.
2. Shame and guilt are two different things. Guilt leads to repentance, shame leads to hiding. When I first began to learn the difference between guilt and shame, it terrified me. Then, it was hilarious. Because living under a cloak of shame is no fun, especially when you think it’s supposed to be there, when you think it’s conviction from God. But learning the difference between these two? That one is from God and the other is most certainly not?
This is part two of my undoing.
3. Hiding isn’t always a bad thing. When I wrote the first half of this book, the part you’ve read so far, I always had in mind where we were headed. Taking off the masks is terrifying if you think you now have to be exposed to a scary world. But coming out of hiding is comforting if you know you are stepping into a new kind of hiding, a true safe place. The Bible says that’s true, says that our lives are now hidden with Christ, in God.
I think about this all the time. Daily.
This is part three of my undoing.
group discussion
There is a lot in chapter 10, content I hope you have had some time to sit with this week. Is there anything we talk about in chapter 10 that has been your undoing? The two trees? The difference between guilt and shame? The gifts of mercy and grace? The new kind of hiding? This chapter is a turning point, a platform from which to launch good news. I would love to take some time on Facebook or here in the comments to hear what you are processing as you read.
book club information
- Get a copy of the book. It’s never too late to join us. (Amazon, B&N, LifeWay, Family Christian).
- Join the closed Facebook group where discussion is happening as we speak.
- Sign up for the book club if you haven’t already. If you already subscribe to get my monthly newsletter, simply update your preferences to include the book club.
- If you are on Twitter, we’ll use the hashtag #graceforthegoodgirl (unless you can tell me something shorter)
- If you have blog, consider writing your own post on Thursdays and hosting discussion with your own readers. Link up to your own blog post in the linky below.
Reading Schedule:
July 5 :: Chapters 11 – 12
July 12 :: Chapters 13 – 14
July 19 :: Chapters 15 – 16
July 26 :: Chapters 17 – 18Mark Your Calendars :: If you are local-ish, we are planning an evening event in Greensboro, North Carolina at the end of our study, Thursday August 2nd. I’ll have details coming soon, but wanted to whisper a tiny heads up for anyone who is close enough to make it, live and in person.
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