on two different occasions this week, i have heard and read commentary on the parables that Jesus tells of the prodigal son and the lost sheep. one of the things i used to tell my students was that if they heard me say something more than once, i probably wanted them to pay attention. i guess there must be something in those parables that the Lord wants me to see this week.
i feel like i could spend a lifetime unpacking and trying to understand the truth of the grace of God. the fact that He cares enough for me to leave everything and pursue me (the lost sheep) and that He loves so deeply that He would break both decorum and social expectation to run and meet me when i return to Him after wandering away (the prodigal son).
i've been reading through hebrews, and tonight, i read the verse in chapter 12 that says, "see to it that no one misses the grace of God." i've always thought that that particular line was so...quotable. but i've been realizing what deep truth lies behind that short phrase, and what a responsibility it is for those of us who have experienced His grace. and how miserably i can fail at reflecting it to a world so desperately in need.
the wonderful thing about the grace of God is that it reaches into the depths of drapravity; it goes to uncomfortable places. it touches people right where they are without expecting them to change first. it loves unconditionally and unendingly...no matter what. and my command is to make sure that no one that meets me passes by without seeing that grace reflected in me.
i have been forgiven unconditionally. i can see the grace of God poured into my life every day. and i have the responsibility, ability, and privilege to carry that grace to uncomfortable places and "undesirable" people with the goal of making sure that they don't miss out on the wonders of the grace of God. i want to be able to echo the words of jeremiah: "if i say, 'i will not mention Him or speak anymore in His name, His Word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. i am weary of holding it in; indeed, i cannot.'"
Friday, July 23, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
...week one...
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
If I could characterize my first week in DC (Actually, NoVa, as I believe it is called), I could sum it up as being filled with moments of unmistakable grace.
After more than a year of praying, crying, talking about, more crying, and even more praying over this move, as well as moment after moment of God clearly affirming it all along the way, I faced a different kind of anxiousness this week. After everything had been moved in, put away, and hung up on the walls, I suddenly found myself with no plan, no direction, no agenda. One morning, I stood on my balcony with my coffee, and the only thing that was running through my mind was, "Oh, crap." (I can be so articulate sometimes.)
But I'm thankful that I serve a gracious (and oh-so-patient) God Who never tires of my questions and doubts. That night, I went to a praise and worship service with my roommate (who is another gracious gift from God), and the main message was about our anxieties and fears. I couldn't help being brought to tears to think that my God was speaking to me through those words.
Being the grammar nerd that I am, I also can't help but notice the indefinite pronouns in those verses from Philippians: "Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING...present your requests to God." I remember I used to think that those verses were kind of like an impossible command. But as I've learned to trust more and more in my Savior, I realize that He only wants to lavish His grace on us. Anxieties get in the way of us experiencing all that God has in store for us.
All that I really know is that I am committed to seeking Him, not fixing my problems or filling my calendar. Ten or twenty years from now, when I look back on my life during this time of uncertainty, I want it to be with a fond remembrance of how I savored the grace that God poured into my life.
If I could characterize my first week in DC (Actually, NoVa, as I believe it is called), I could sum it up as being filled with moments of unmistakable grace.
After more than a year of praying, crying, talking about, more crying, and even more praying over this move, as well as moment after moment of God clearly affirming it all along the way, I faced a different kind of anxiousness this week. After everything had been moved in, put away, and hung up on the walls, I suddenly found myself with no plan, no direction, no agenda. One morning, I stood on my balcony with my coffee, and the only thing that was running through my mind was, "Oh, crap." (I can be so articulate sometimes.)
But I'm thankful that I serve a gracious (and oh-so-patient) God Who never tires of my questions and doubts. That night, I went to a praise and worship service with my roommate (who is another gracious gift from God), and the main message was about our anxieties and fears. I couldn't help being brought to tears to think that my God was speaking to me through those words.
Being the grammar nerd that I am, I also can't help but notice the indefinite pronouns in those verses from Philippians: "Do not be anxious about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING...present your requests to God." I remember I used to think that those verses were kind of like an impossible command. But as I've learned to trust more and more in my Savior, I realize that He only wants to lavish His grace on us. Anxieties get in the way of us experiencing all that God has in store for us.
All that I really know is that I am committed to seeking Him, not fixing my problems or filling my calendar. Ten or twenty years from now, when I look back on my life during this time of uncertainty, I want it to be with a fond remembrance of how I savored the grace that God poured into my life.
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