"And Grace Will Lead Me Home"

Months and months ago, while listening to the radio, I heard the song I'm Not Who I Was by Brandon Heath and surprisingly, a line from the song has stuck with me. I say surprisingly because it was not a song that I was excited about. I didn't run out and purchase it on itunes and I didn't constantly wish for it to be played again on the radio. It was just a regular song to me, bordering on a song that I might switch to another station if it did come on. I just didn't love it, but now, months and months have passed and that line continues to reside in my mind. The line is " the thing I find most amazing of amazing grace is the chance to give out, maybe that's what love is all about." I don't love the song, but I love that line.

I'm reading the book What's so amazing about Grace? by Phillip Yancey. While I haven't finished yet, it has been on my list of books to buy since chapter one. It's a book that once I finish it, I know I am going to want to turn back to page 1 and read it all over again. It's a book that takes your breath away because you are so overwhelmed by the reminder of God's grace and the beauty within it. It truly is amazing grace. While reading this book, however, I have realized how often I do not act with such grace. I like to think I'm a fairly nice girl and that I am generally kind to others, but within the pages of this book, I often identify with those who act in ungrace. I will admit that I have rationialized my actions of ungrace at times and felt totally justified after. I seem to forget at times that I myself am a sinner saved by an amazing grace. A grace that I can not put into words and that makes me cry when I take time to really consider it. A grace that loves me unconditionally and has no measure or bounds. I know that grace and the thing that's so amazing about it is the chance to give it out.

I mentioned that I haven't finished reading the book by Yancey yet, but along the way, I have taken a few notes and/or written down quotes that stuck out to me. Many of which I have heard before and just needed the reminder and others that I heard for the first time. All of which, however, have challenged me to act in grace, rather than ungrace. To share a few:

• "I know that I came face to face with God's love at my worst, not my best, and that amazing grace saved a wretch like me."


• Jesus gained the reputations as a lover of sinners, a reputation that His followers are in danger of losing today.


• Grace dies when it becomes "us" versus "them".


• We are to hate the sin, but love the sinner


• God is a God of love and not hate, of freedom and not rules, of grace and not judgement.

I have been touched by the grace of God and have stood changed as a result. I don't want to be quick to forget that. I don't want to be like the unmerciful servant whose own large debt was cancelled, but he still felt entitled to the debt owed to him (Matthew 18:21-35). I want to be a giver of the kind of grace that was so freely given to me.

Knowing my humanity, there will be moments where I will act with more ungrace than grace. And I pray that when those moments come, that I can humble myself enough to ask for forgiveness- an act of grace in itself.

Week 5: The Eritrean government imprisons Christians in metal containers, denying them food and medical care. Pray for their health.