When Grace Feels Slow to Come
“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” —2 Corinthians 5:18 (NIV)
Dreams can be mysterious, but sometimes the Holy Spirit uses them to gently reveal what’s going on inside us, things we’ve missed in the busyness of life. Recently, I had a dream that shined a light on my own struggle to give grace to others. It’s stuck with me.
In the dream, I stood before a family member, handing him something I owed. As I placed it in his hands, tears welled up in his eyes. Behind me stood another family member, one with whom reconciliation had been long overdue. For the first time in a very long time, the two of them found peace.
When I woke, I sensed the Spirit whispering: “Grace has been slow in your hands.”
The truth is, behind every smile, every careless word, and every destructive behavior lies something deeper, and that’s unhealed wounds. And those wounds eventually show themselves, no matter how carefully we try to hide them. I don’t like that. I want everything to be okay without the messiness of conflict. I long for quick resolutions and easy endings. But that’s not how healing usually works.
Jesus is the Reconciler. He is the One who mends what we cannot. And His timing is not our timing. We can’t force reconciliation, no matter how much we may want it. We also can’t bypass the discomfort and pretend everything is fine. True grace requires us to lean into the tension, trusting that God is at work beneath the surface, no matter how painful.
Maybe you’ve been waiting for healing in a relationship. Maybe forgiveness has felt slow to take root in your own heart. Or maybe you’re discouraged because it seems like nothing is changing. Friend, take comfort in this: reconciliation is God’s work. He invites us to extend grace, to keep our hearts soft, and to trust His timing.
The ministry of reconciliation isn’t about rushing the process. It’s about reflecting the heart of Jesus, who never gave up on us. When we feel the ache of waiting, we can remember that Jesus is still mending what we cannot see.
So today, if grace feels slow to come, whether in your own hands or someone else’s, ask the Lord to help you trust His timing. He is faithful to finish the work He has begun.
Let’s pray:
Lord, thank You for being my Reconciler. Help me to trust Your timing when it feels like healing is delayed. Teach me to extend grace, even when it’s uncomfortable. Heal the unhealed places in my heart, and use me as a vessel of Your reconciliation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Remember:
Reconciliation is not rushed. It’s revealed in God’s perfect timing. My role is to extend grace and keep my heart soft.
Reflection Questions
When have you struggled to give grace slowly, wanting quick resolution instead?
What unhealed places in your heart might God be inviting you to bring to Him for restoration?
How have you seen Jesus work reconciliation in His timing—whether in your own life or in the lives of others?
Who in your life might need a fresh measure of grace from you today?
How can you actively trust God’s timing instead of forcing your own?
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Regina is a writer, homeschooling mom, and owner of a comfort food catering business. A contributor to several publications, she is also an advocate for young adults with developmental disabilities and serves on the Compel Pro volunteer leadership team. Living in Ohio with her family, she designs Squarespace websites for fellow creatives and spends her free time cheering her sons from the sidelines or sipping tea while chatting about God’s goodness with women.
