passed over
01 Jul 2011 1 Comment
There are times in my life when I reconnect with grace.
I guess the hope is that I’m connecting with it everyday, and of course even when I’m not acknowledging it, God’s grace covers me.
But what I mean by reconnecting is that sometimes I recognize my incredible need for it, NOW, because I’m so grace-less myself.
Today Edwin and I had what we call a “bad culture day.” It’s one of those days when the things around us just rub us the wrong way, and we find ourselves grumbling and griping. But today I couldn’t get too far into my own anger, because I kept thinking the question in my head, “who are you, anyway?” I might think they need to change things about the train system in Manila (more signage, please!), but the train in Manila wasn’t built for me. And I’m not a regular customer. And it serves a good purpose. And so as I battle, the self that wants to be angry and, let’s face it, prideful and selfish; and the self that wants to live out the Gospel of peace, I just end up all humbled. And that’s when I reconnect with grace.
Sometimes I think about how frustrating it must have been for God to deal with life on earth. Then I think about how frustrating it must be for him to deal with life with me. But he doesn’t just deal with me, he loves me. He doesn’t just love me, he sees me as clean. I mean, the grumbling, selfish, judgmental girl of today, in the eyes of God, is clean. Because Jesus steps in front of me when the eyes of the Great Judge pass by, and I am judged clean. I was reading Josiah the story of the Passover tonight. The wording was just perfect to remind me of the sacrifice of Christ. I can’t remember it just now, but it was something like, “…the lamb’s blood showed God that a lamb had been killed in the place of a person.” In the place of a person. Me. The Lamb was killed so grumpy little Amy could be passed over, saved, redeemed, washed, and robed in righteousness.
That is the work of a gracious God. That is the grace I reconnected with today. That is the grace I pray will be manifested in my actions to others. I have a long way to go, but I know the God of Grace lives in me. What a sobering and exhilarating thought.
~
picture from http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=189728
Jul 07, 2011 @ 18:48:13
Amy, this entry reminded me that we are bathed in grace all the time. It’s frosting on the cake when our minds get reconnected to that reality. Thank you for sharing your walk.
Right beside you on The Way,
Deidre