Small Mercies and Finding Grace
Life rarely unfolds the way we expect. The coffee spills, the toast burns, the meeting runs late, the flight you were counting on is delayed, or even missed. At first, it feels like disruption, inconvenience, or failure. But sometimes that missed flight is exactly what saves you from something unforeseen. Sometimes the delay gives you the space to pause, breathe, and notice the thread of grace you might otherwise have overlooked.
There’s a Jamaican proverb I keep coming back to: “Every disappointment is good.” At first, it sounds almost impossible to believe, but the more I reflect, the more I see its truth. Life has a way of teaching us in layers. The burnt toast, the spilled coffee, the lost opportunity; they are all small mercies disguised as setbacks. They remind us that meaning isn’t always immediate, and sometimes we only understand the lesson later, in retrospect.
Learning to Be Still
One of the hardest things in life is learning to be still. Living in a big city and a society that celebrates constant movement, action, and “productivity” makes it seem out of the norm to rest and be still. However, stillness allows us to see what is often invisible in the noise. When we pause, even for a few moments, we can notice the small mercies: the quiet morning sun, the brief smile or exchange with a stranger, the way our body feels when we breathe fully. Stillness is not emptiness, it is presence. It is the space where perspective grows, where frustration and disappointment can be observed instead of ignored, and where we can learn to respond rather than react.
Noticing Opportunities to Do Things Differently
Every disappointment and delay holds a hidden lesson if we choose to notice it. Maybe that missed flight gave you the chance to reflect on a decision you were rushing. Perhaps that argument or miscommunication opened a window to say something differently, to set a boundary, or to extend grace to yourself or another. Learning to channel normal emotions like frustration and disappointment into reflection rather than resentment allows us to cultivate wisdom from everyday experiences.
Silver Linings and Seeing the Present Later
It’s funny how life works. We often only understand the significance of a moment months later. The friend who didn’t show up, the conversation that went sideways, the job opportunity that didn’t materialize….all can become silver linings when viewed with hindsight. These small mercies, when noticed, teach patience, resilience, and perspective, helping us shift from scarcity to gratitude.
Trusting and Leaning into Divine Timing
A lot of the stress we carry comes from wanting life to follow our schedule, control, and plans. We want perfection. We want control. We want immediate answers and results. But sometimes the universe has its own plan and divine timing, as messy as it can feel, often works in our favor. Doors open when we are ready to walk through them. Lessons arrive when we are capable of receiving them. People come and go when it’s meant to be. And if we can pause, notice, and honor these small mercies, life starts to feel less like a fight and more like a rhythm we are invited to move with.
Gratitude and Perspective
Gratitude is not just about big social media “postable” moments. It’s about noticing the ordinary things like the warm cup of tea, the quiet morning, the moment of laughter, even a challenging conversation that teaches patience. Focusing on small mercies shifts our perspective from scarcity to abundance, from control to presence. It helps us undo toxic patterns of perfectionism and constant striving and reminds us that peace doesn’t require achievement; it requires attention.
Undoing Toxic Patterns
Many of us are taught that success and worth are measured by achievement, efficiency, and perfection. Undoing these toxic patterns means noticing grace in the everyday, leaning into divine timing, and celebrating even the small victories. Burnt toast becomes a reminder that life is imperfect. Missed flights, delayed opportunities, or unplanned pauses become lessons in patience, resilience, and presence.
Every disappointment can be good. Every delay can hold a lesson. Every small mercy, when noticed, becomes a doorway to perspective, gratitude, and peace. Life is not always about controlling outcomes. It’s about leaning into what is, learning, and finding the light in unexpected moments.
As we approach Thanksgiving, I hope we can pause, be still, and notice the small mercies in our lives—the ordinary moments that hold quiet grace and teach us to respond with intention, gratitude, and perspective. Even in frustration, disappointment, or delay, there are lessons waiting to be recognized and celebrated.
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