“…be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”
2 Timothy 2:1
It is a rare blessing to have someone enter your sphere and make a life-altering difference in it. For me, that person was my cousin Grace. Though connected by generations, we met for the first time in college. Those that remember her recall that Grace immediately put a person at ease with her captivating smile, quick wit, warm laugh, and engaging conversation. She was always relaxed and free-flowing. Life was buoyant in Grace’s presence. We spent countless hours together, and I enjoyed everything about Grace, except for one concern. She had a chronic illness. When Grace got sick, she really got sick and I would usually get the call; hence, our many hours together included extended time in the hospital emergency department.
I would sit there helpless and feeling quite inadequate, as she would try to make me laugh. It was so hard to watch her suffer. In fact, those memories propelled me into and through medical school to make a difference in someone’s life, as I felt I wasn’t able to help her. Grace was a very special and truly unique individual who I remembered fondly as I later cared for chronically ill children as a pediatrician.
In the spiritual realm, the concept of grace is also very special and truly unique, and inadequately defined. One unknown author coined the acronym God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Another described grace as unmerited favor.
One evening, as I received a memorable message from the mother of one of my former patients, I contemplated God’s grace in my life. I thought it quite amazing that despite my inadequacies, my shortcomings, and my outright failures in life, God still pours out His unmerited favors on me. Despite my fear, bitterness, shame and my lack of recognition of His fulfilled promises, His mercies to me “are new every morning”. Not one day goes by that I can’t exclaim along with the prophet Jeremiah, “Great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23)!” This, to me, is the definition of grace. Despite me, God still blesses me and uses me to bless others. This is amazing to me—this is amazing grace.
The apostle Paul begins and closes each of his epistles with one sentiment—the grace of the Lord be with you. He recognizes the utmost importance of this aspect of God, and how fruitless life is without it. I, for one, need a fresh outpouring of it each day, as it makes a life-altering difference.
