Saturday, May 07, 2005

Grace?

Well, to start, the wedding I was at was nice. It was one of the first weddings I actually saw a care for God in the relationship, that showed the understanding of what marriage was. Anyway, it was good, the bride was radient and the groom was goofy, so all in all it was a HIT! :)

Tonight I was reading through my blog and something I wrote struck me. I missed in saying something. I said:
So what about not understanding grace is a "false gospel"? This I don't understand. I don't know that I ever will.

The thing is, who really understands grace? I mean honestly understands it. I don't. To me its something so far beyond my thinking. How could a God that really at the end of the day say "To hell with them" (literally) decide that we deserve unmerrited favor, a gift such as looking passed our dirty stains? You see even the best of us cannot understand the borders of grace. They are so far reaching that we can't even begin to see it. Its almost like a sunset or even a sunrise, you can see the light at the end but you know its too far to begin to reach. I personally sometimes struggle to understand grace. I feel so undeserving. I know myself in the dark and how could God, this perfect being, look upon me and say,"well, done. come be with me." WOW! And we find the awe of God in that moment and in that moment we "know" grace.
In a the venture of trying to find a picture I found this and I will end here because it says what I want to say:


Grace is a gift of God. Because it comes to us at God's initiative, there are some things we can't do about grace. We can't earn it. We can't control it. We don't have to deserve it.

If grace is out of your hands, so to speak, how do you engage in the spiritual practice of grace? Accept that you are accepted. Practice receiving. Receive objects, love, help. Notice when presents and presence come to you without your effort.


Quote and Picture from here.

2 comments:

Rick said...

Hey Jewels,

I've been trying to understand this myself.

What does it mean for your daily living and state of mind to consciously operate from the standpoint of; obtaining all your self worth from being a child of God...as well as...being unconditionally accepted in your most important/meaningful relationship?

On the way up to Fort Wayne, IN this weekend (to see mom) I was walking through the motivations of my daily thoughts, actions & attitudes.

I discovered that most of what motivates a particular thought, action or attitude is my trying to gain acceptance or self worth...from other people and God.

As I pressed myself and God on being conscious of what I already have...well...I saw and exprienced an incredible freedom and joy.

I'm thinking our moment by moment conscious awareness of those realities...so much so that we don't have to "think about it" is worth our looking into.

Any ideas as to what might keep those realities in the forfront of our consciousness?

Jewels said...

I think as hard as we may try we can't. I think the fratilty of our human mind gets us. although we are a saved people we still struggle. in away we are still just children trying to understand our father's motives. I don't know if we will understand until we are fully with him in heaven.
how does that settle?