Thursday, October 23, 2014

Celebration: {Day 23} Joyce's Story

Some of us have dramatic encounters with grace, the kind that make you want to clap and jump up from your chair when you hear them.  Some of our grace stories are very un-dramatic - but that makes them no less real or precious.  Grace is always, always amazing!

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Joyce, you've alluded to some similarities in our stories, and I wondered if you'd be willing to share more.

About grace, what I have learned...

Big question, Rachel, big indeed.

At times I feel so unworthy to even mention the word, but grace...

I am not really qualified to share, but grace...

My memory escapes me, but grace...

I have messed up too many times, but grace...

How can someone so proud even talk about it?  But grace...

I have fallen off my pedestal too many times, too bruised up, but grace...

My story is not flashy enough, not all like the others, but grace...

Herein is grace - though redeemed, I fall down.  Grace picks me up again, and leaves me much more humbled than before I fell.  I do not see the bruises on others as much as I used to, the speck in their eye is not nearly as visible.  My log is still in mine, but the years are breaking it down.  It is splintering off piece by piece.

Wait!  How did I get off the subject of grace?  Nope, didn't!!

His grace extended to my needy soul has revealed more of my need to do the same to others.  My judgment of others has hindered mercy towards them.  How could I not see that years ago?  Oh yes...the log, the supersize California Giant Sequoia size!!!

The more I get to know my God, the more I understand in a very limited way, why Jesus had to die.  I am pitiful enough as it is, and without Him, there would be no hope for me.  I praise Him daily that His work is sufficient for me to enter His glory and I rely on grace one day at a time.  Most of all I want others to see Jesus, and if I do not love like He did, they may never know the grace that I can share about today.

Joyce, thank you so much for sharing your heart.  We have such a good, gentle, persistent God, don't we?!

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