...and whose

   speech is gracious...

           Proverbs 22. 11

(What sets believers apart

is not being perfect

    (of which we are not)

but how we respond

   when it's obvious

   we are not

and in unfavorable situations.

Do we respond to others

   with His grace

   that we have been given?

Is my speech gracious

     in this volatile moment?

What am I bringing

               to the table?

Grace or argument?

Building up or tearing down?

Do I have to be right,

choose to win

    or choose to defuse?

God's grace is practiced

              in words,

more powerful than

   we will ever grasp.)

O LORD,

We seek to know You

   and to make You known.

Help us to realize

that includes how we respond

  in volatile situations.

No one expects us

     as believers

     to be perfect,

but unexpectedly gracious.

Help us to reveal Your grace

in how we act

            differently

because You abide in us.