Grace



I have been reading Philip Yancy's "What's So Amazing About Grace?" and it is really keeping me busy. There is lots of good stuff in the book, but this, and it is on the back cover, has given me lots to chew on:

"There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less."

My first reaction was, Yea me! But then, as time passed, as situations came up, as I read farther into the book, a slow sense of confusion started to descend. Yea me, but hey, what about Yoohoo who did that and really hurt me and won't admit it and.....

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. OUCH!

I have been the recipient of lots of grace in my life. I consider the fact that I am where I am today to be grace, but it has mostly been grace from God that I "get." Recently I have been touched by grace from another person and that really freaked me out. It goes against my nature to not take things personally when I am wronged. It REALLY goes against my nature to lovingly call someone on a behavior and still accept them. But what really struck me wasn't the grace bestowed from someone, but what that interaction did to my spirit. It softened, calmed, humbled. For those of you who know me, somewhat foreign places for me. But in the quiet, I became more gracious to others. Weird.

If only spiritual principles were contagious like the flu! Maybe grace is one that is....

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