I looked at the calendar last week. September 24th. Wednesday, the 24th of the month. The day after my “A Smidgen of Hope” post was due on my website.

Ugh. I slapped my head and thought, “Girl, why can’t you get your act together?” Then I told myself that I was in my sixties and probably shouldn’t call myself a girl anymore.

Anyway, here I am a week later, and I decided to give myself grace for last week. I mean, we did move Mom in with us this month, and there was so much involved. (Still is as we tie up all the loose ends) But grace is something I haven’t always given myself in the past.

Me: perfectionist, OCD, melancholy, super-responsible, geeky, and first-born child. All of these traits of mine have caused me to not love myself often in the past, but years ago, I decided no more.

If God loved me enough to send His Son, Jesus, to die for me, then I needed to start loving myself. Give myself:

The grace to succeed or fail.
The space to grow and learn.
The place I occupy as a child of God.
And face each day with perseverance, consistency, and a love for myself and others.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12: 9-10 ESV.

His grace is sufficient. I work very hard on my blog, my writing, and life in general. I will probably miss a post again sometimes in the future because life happens. And God is okay with me. He knows my heart and loves me anyway.

I’ll leave you today with a song I love very much. Do you know how to give yourself grace?

Click to tweet: A Smidgen of Hope: I looked at the calendar. It was the day after my “A Smidgen of Hope” post was due on my website. Ugh. I slapped my head and thought, “Girl, why can’t you get your act together?” Then I told myself I was in my sixties and shouldn’t call myself a girl anymore. #ChristianLiving #faith #hope

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Author

Jennifer Hallmark

Jennifer Hallmark writes Southern fiction with a twist. Her website and newsletter focus on her books, love of the South, and favorite fiction. She creates stories with unforgettable characters—her stories are a little eerie and otherworldly but with a positive turn.

Jessie’s Hope, her first novel, was a Selah Award nominee for First Novel. Her latest novel, Smoking Flax, was released on January 16th, 2024.

When she isn’t babysitting, gardening, or exploring the beautiful state of Alabama, you can find her at her desk penning fiction or studying the craft of writing. She also loves reading and streaming fantasy, supernatural stories, and detective fiction from the Golden Age or her favorite subject—time travel.

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4 Comments

Melissa Henderson on September 30, 2025 at 6:46 am

Thank you for this message. I needed to read this today. Have a blessed week! 🙂
- Jennifer Hallmark on September 30, 2025 at 2:02 pm
  
  You’re welcome! We all need a little extra grace ❤️
Rosemary Althoff on September 30, 2025 at 7:11 am

I, too, have a big streak of perfectionism running through my hide. A prayer-partner and writer friend of mine tells me that perfectionism is a fruit of low self-esteem. My appropriate self-esteem comes from trusting God’s Word about His huge, high value for me.
Reminds me that I’m a valued companion of Jesus like Tegan and Rose were of Dr. Who.
- Jennifer Hallmark on September 30, 2025 at 2:03 pm
  
  What a good analogy 🙂