Each day that I awake, each moment that is captivated, I see God's grace abounding. It is an undeserving grace, I fall short day after day and I am reminded that we are living in this momentary affliction, and that God has a surpassing power that belongs to HIM alone. Grace is a surpassing power that He can only give.
I have been camping out in 2 Corinthians this week just thinking on Chapter 4 and it is good. Thinking about how we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (vs 11) That is grace. This is moment by moment... and praise the Lord it is moment by moment. I need Him in the good, the bad, the scary, the fun, the exciting, the crazy, and the calm moments. I have been reminded that we serve a FAITHFUL God, and as His grace extends to more and more people, it increases thanksgiving to the glory of God.
It takes time to think about grace. I really am amazed at how God's grace extends to me personally, then to my marriage, my children, our family unit, our extended family, my friends, to the people that are in and out of my home daily, the villages and homes that we are in, the national believers, our churches, our countries, this world and how the Grace-giver's righteous right hand is assigning all of it. As His child, I am being inwardly renewed day by day, "for this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things, that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal") Vs 17-18. I need to hear these words daily. I need to hear them so I don't lose heart, as a child of God, a wife, mother, friend, language learner, a person in this world (this crazy world I live in) and as a daughter of the King.
The days I am living can seem so real, so non-transient, I wake up to my husband (whom I adore), praying for me, then one by one, 1,2,3,4,5 sweet children crawling in my bed to snuggle and get their first morning hugs and kisses and we pray personally for each one, asking the Lord to extend His grace, His hand for our day, then as we get to breakfast, the rush of the day begins.
And then I forget. I forget that this is just a momentary affliction, that I am being prepared for eternity, and so I think about the things that are seen, the things that are transient, and I can lose heart, because my focus is on those things. And then He renews me again and again so that His life may be manifested in my flesh. What an incredible God, whose grace is pure and good and immeasurable. And as His grace extends thru all the moments of the day, all I can do is praise and thank Him for His love.
This really is a life lived in and by grace. I think it's good to just ponder them...
Grace:
Saved by grace through faith.
Growing in an everlasting relationship with my Savior.
Forgiven for all my sins.
Being transformed into a new creation.
Worshipping the ONE TRUE GOD.
Set free.
Rescued.
Loved.
Beautified.
Sustained daily.
Raised in a loving, Christian home.
Married to my husband who leads our home as a servant of God.
Mommy to 5 beautiful children who love each other.
Living in India.
Seeing God at work in people's lives.
Blessed by having my dear friend homeschool our children.
Having a beautiful pool in India to swim at when we so choose.
Having an amazing house helper, cook and Auntie come each day to help me.
Skype.
Parents and Grandparents who love God and their grandchildren.
Peaches and watermelon in India.
Air conditioning in the desert.
Sunsets.
Rainbows.
Hugs.
Kisses.
Words.
A 5 month old baby.
Music.
My sweet sister friends.
Adoption.
Love.
Rain.
A little 3 year old girl who loves to sing and dance.
And the list goes on......
As I choose to acknowledge the graces, it generates thankfulness.
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