In honor of my mom and in memory of my Uncle Ed

As little boys, we all do it!  Whether it’s a magnifying glass or a ball peen hammer, we find a way to exact justice on a colony of ants.  It wasn’t that long ago when my son would grab  his implements of divine power and create a whole world of imaginary heroes and villains out of a the string of ants that would march across the sidewalk and into the grass.  On one particular day my son explained to me that he was lord of the ants and he was deciding which ant would get fried and which one would be allowed to pass the mud bridge he had constructed as the only path to safety.

I often feel as though God does much the same with us.  The pressure and pain of life draws us to our knees and we cry out, “Why have You allowed this…?”  Sometimes there is no answer; sometimes we simply feel the ‘aloneness’ that comes from going through a valley that seems to never end.  There is a difference; however, in how God deals with us and how little boys deal with the ants on the sidewalk.  God extends GRACE.  So what is grace?  A fancy word that preachers use to describe some God-thing or maybe the words we utter before a meal?  Simply stated, Grace makes ALL of the difference.

Today brings the loss of my uncle!  He lost his battle with a stroke.  The strike of a hammer?  The burning rays of God’s magnifying glass?  No!  The chance for God’s grace to be given and experienced.  Those who have never experienced this gift will think I have crossed into fanaticism.  Let me explain:

• Without Grace, my uncle would be lost forever – extinct like the ants at the end of the hammer.
• Without Grace, we would have no chance of seeing him again.
• Without Grace, we would have no comfort; only questions and pain.
• Without Grace, we would have no reason to share God’s love to the rest of his family.
• Without Grace, we would be hopeless.

Grace gives us a gift that we do not deserve.  Rather than being small creatures that wander about on a plot of ground wondering if something will fall from the sky, we have the hope and comfort of knowing that we are loved and cared for.  When pain or disaster does strike, it only gives a another chance to see how God will extend yet another showing of His tender care for us.  Grace takes us past the pain and moves us to the blessings that are yet to be enjoyed on this side of heaven.

Consider this song and see if you too aren’t amazed by the gift of God’s Grace:

My faithful Father,
Enduring Friend
Your tender mercy’s like a river with no end
It overwhelms me
Covers my sin
Each time I come into Your presence
I stand in wonder once again

REFRAIN
Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
Each day I fall on my knees
‘Cause Your grace still amazes me
Your grace still amazes me

Oh, patient Savior,
You make me whole
You are the Author and the Healer of my soul
What can I give You , Lord, what can I say
I know there’s no way to repay You
Only to offer You my praise
REFRAIN
It’s deeper, it’s wider
It’s stronger, it’s higher
It’s deeper, it’s wider
It’s stronger, it’s higher
Than anything my eyes can see
REFRAIN

Open Mic: Share Your Thoughts

1. How has God’s grace brought you though difficult times?
2. How can you share the comfort of God’s grace with someone who is hurting and may not feel God’s presence?

– Michael G