What is Grit and what does it mean to be a girl of Grit and Grace?

I’ve been posed the questions more than once since I started Grit, Grace, and Girlfriends. Why Grit and What is it? Today seemed as good as any to explain my heart behind the declaration.

Google describes Grit as a personality trait possessed by individuals who demonstrate passion and perseverance toward a goal despite being confronted by significant obstacles and distractions.

Wikipedia explains it this way- Grit is a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individual's perseverance of effort combined with the passion for a particular long-term goal...blah blah blah.

These are lovely scientific, higher education babble. But how about a description from a country girl who had had to learn Grit's definition before there was Google or Wikipedia.

To me, Grit is body spirit, and emotion all colliding. It’s digging your heels in and refusing to give up. It’s gritting your teeth in the hard stuff that feels like it will kill you. It’s enduring the pain of rejection because your passion or convictions have dug their feet in the face of opposition! It’s saying I will die before I cave! Grit is a hot pursuit of a passion that is willing to jump obstacles, dodge distraction, and hurdle trap doors. Grit musters the strength to rise one more time and try again after failure or sabotage. Grit is deciding something in a safe place and living it out in a dangerous place. Grit is a missionary saying yes at the alter and dying in the field. It is a soldier signing a contract in an office and living a life of sacrifice. Grit only looks forward. If it glances back, it is to check on those following her.

· Leah had Grit when she played second fiddle to Rachel.

· Esther had Grit when she went before the king to save her people.

· Ruth had Grit when she followed Naomi.

· Rahab had Grit when she hid the two spies and bargained for her family’s life.

· Mary had Grit when she dumped her perfume on Jesus.

· The woman with the issue of blood had Grit when she bolted out of her house to pursue her healer.

Our grittiest "John Wayne" of girls is the mother of Jesus- young, pure, and available. She accepted the life of ridicule without hesitation. She risked social suicide and possible death. She said yes to raising a King, The King of Kings. She had lack- Lack of a man, lack of experience, lack of age, and lack of resources, but she had Grit! She said yes to the hard things, from the manger to the cross, Mary was present and endured the pain of birth to death of her first born. She carried the character of a woman of Grit and grace! She was afraid but saddled up anyway.

These women and so many more, show us how to dig in, set our face like flint, and stay steadfast when quitting is screaming in our ears. Grit will talk you off the ledge of throwing in the towel of seeing your dream to the finish line. In tears, pain, loneliness, brokenness, or self-doubt, Grit will punch through these walls and see you through to the other side. A little bloody and a lotta bruises, but with a joy that can only come because you gave your all. This is what a Grit and Grace girl is to me!

Paul paints Grit this way; “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24 NIV

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 NIV