This content is sponsored by Great Day Farms, but all opinions are my own. 
Yesterday I had a surprise breakdown. Please tell me this happens to other people – you’re having a great day, you’re not suffering from an, ahem, monthly visitor, you’re not stressed – but then suddenly you’re crying uncontrollably.
Hopefully I’m not the only one here 🙂
Anyway, the idea of grace can sometimes escape me. After years of being a Christian I have yet to understand, fully and at any given point in time, the extreme audacity of Christ’s love and lavish grace. Even now I’m at a loss, even after the complete breakdown I had this morning.
See, when that moment of realization comes it hits me like a ton of bricks, and my knee-jerk reaction is always tears. My poor, sweet, amazing friends didn’t know what hit them when I started ugly crying all up in that room!
Basically what happened is this: I read Mark 1:40-41. The Message version. And here’s what it says:
“A leper came to him, begging on his knees, ‘If you want to, you can cleanse me.’ DEEPLY MOVED, Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I WANT TO. Be clean.”
Y’all, Jesus saw this man and he was moved. He cared. He was concerned for this child of his, this one who had nothing, who was in pain. He cared. And when no one else wanted to touch him, when this man was an outcast of the most severe kind, Jesus wanted to touch him and he wanted to heal him. And then he did.
My mind is blown by the sheer love in those few words, the compassion, the mercy, the healing. And it struck me yesterday at just the right time that the grace Jesus gave to the leper he extends freely to me as well. Despite my jealousy and idols and anger and impatience. Despite my hidden sin that, although I look fine on the outside, makes my heart uglier than any disease. He is moved. And he wants to heal.
BOOM. Tears again.
Anyway, so I ugly cried in front of some of the sweetest gals I’ve ever met and then came home with a headache and just enough ingredients in the fridge for this awesome meal. Simple, flavorful, beautiful and just comforting enough to get my head on straight. I seriously adore these hardboiled eggs from Great Day Farms (you can get them in the deli section at Walmart). In addition to this super yummy meal I love eating them just with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and paprika for a quick snack!
Excited to try the recipe? Head over to Great Day Farms to grab it!
OK, THAT sounds great. And I had no idea that they sell hard-boiled eggs at Walmart! (We even have a Walmart not toooo far away! :)) This looks like such a yummy, comfort dish. Aloha!
BTW–I love your heart and God’s grace is more than worthy of ugly cries any day of the week! Bless you.
I know exactly how you feel! Sometimes it grace can be over-whelming! BTW This looks so delicious!
Thank you so much Natalie! P.S. We have some park dates to catch up on 🙂
Totally not what I expected! Beautiful post. Sharing.
I love/hate those moments. It happened to me the other day when I was in a Kohl’s of all places. I’ve been healing from some hurts and all the sudden I just had this very tangible realization that Christ was making me new, that He was redeeming everything…as I stood in the toy section of a Kohl’s. So glad I’m not the only one who gets her ugly cry on at weird times. 🙂 Love this dish.
Ha! Gotta love when the Holy Spirit hits us, right? I’ve totally pulled the ugly cry at Kohl’s before 🙂
Veggie hash may be one of my favorite breakfasts…
I often find myself completely breaking down out of nowhere – especially when I’m tired. It’s okay! And you always feel better after 🙂
Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe and your reflection on the Mark passage. I’m often in the same place, brought down hard to my knees with ugly crying because of the sheer enormity of God’s grace in my life.
Thank you for being so open, yes unexpected and unexplained breakdowns do happen! It helps to know we are all Totally Normal.
I still remember quite vividly the lesson on Grace in Sunday School. We had a sub and he gave us all peppermint patties which we were THRILLED by. Then he told us we didn’t do anything to earn them but they were an undeserved gift, like Grace. This might actually be the only lesson I can recall!
What a great way to start the day: with photos of this lovely looking veggie hash and a wonderful reminder of the overwhelming amount of grace and love that God showers on us each day. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hash just makes me happy. I love fried eggs but haven’t tried the hard boiled twist. Heather, I heart you.
PS. Thanks for sharing your beautiful reflection. So honest and a great reminder as I begin my day.
Grace is a totally overwhelming realization, especially in the midst of stress, pain, etc. It always manifests itself in tears for me too. Love this dish, Heather!