Sunday, April 8, 2012

G is for the Grace of God

Happy Easter! I think you guessed that my acrostic word was AMAZING, and that this stemmed from Ang's comment about the Amazing Grace she experiences in her life - the Grace of God. I felt that I wanted to write something about that too, but what on earth could I say that hadn't already been said by the Bible, by hymn writers, by Philip Yancey..? Well, I thought, I could look at God's grace in MY life, because no one else can write about that...
So there we go, I've had a really rather indulgent week of telling my story, and you have been most kind to indulge me in the telling, with your generous and encouraging comments. But the theme behind the telling was meant to be the amazing grace of God, which means his unconditional love for each one of us. Although I gave away my copy of Philip Yancey's book about Grace, the words in the blurb on the back are indelibly etched into my memory: 'There is nothing I can do to make God love me more. There is nothing I can do to make God love me less'. I remember sitting on a London to Leeds train, discussing those words with a fellow teacher, as she worried about some aspects in her life which she felt were letting God down. It is perfectly possible to let God down - I know my anger and irritability do that frequently - but those things don't stop his love for me or you, not one little bit.
I know my life story is a rather cheery, easy one. Nothing terrible ever happened to me, so of course it is easy for me to say, as I did a week ago, 'Life is fun and God is good'. But I could have told my life story from the shadowy side, too. In every good thing that I recall, there is an element of God's grace making it work, and highlighting the light instead of the shadow. I can see God's grace in taking an isolated, slightly arrogant girl and teaching her gently what she wasn't prepared to learn from church or Christian friends. I can see God's grace in leading me into teaching when I thought I was preparing for museum work. I can see God's loving hand guiding me and Ben again and again as we needed to change home and church. I can see God's grace in allowing me to break open so that a softer, deeper, more receptive layer of my character was ready to learn about living with him, living with my family. Those could have been, in fact were, some of the dark sides of my story. But seen in God's light - seen in the light of Jesus and his Easter Resurrection, my story is just a little part of God's story, full of grace and hope.

11 comments:

Jane and Chris said...

A wonderful,incredibly thoughtful and gracious series.
Happy Easter!
Jane x

Unknown said...

Happy Easter - I have enjoyed reading about your journey.

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Oh, I so believe that we all have a story to tell about the AMAZING Grace that canopies us all. I want to thank you for coming to visit today, on a day when most everyone is taking a blog break or is with family. But I so appreciate that you took the time to visit. Yes, GRACE shall carry us safely home. Oh may the fruit of the spirit grow abundantly in your LIFE!

THANK YOU AGAIN for your lovely comments and spend a lovely week, rejoicing and making SOMEONE'S DAY!

Anita

Kit said...

I love your story and I love how you said you had the guiding hand of God all the way. I feel that way about my life too. Happy Easter! Kit

helen tilston said...

A beautiful post and you have a grateful heart.
a very Happy Easter

Helen xx

Serenata said...

As the lucky recipient of the book that you graciously gave away to me, you have reminded me of it and the need I think to read it again. I certainly feel in need of it at the moment and thank you to opening my eyes for me, with not only that timely reminder, but also the wonderful way in which you view and told your life story and the journey you have been taking. Thank you Floss.

Josie Crafter said...

Hi Floss
Wow! It was fascinating to read your life story and your journey with God. Amazing is certainly the right word to describe it! I love how open you've been with your story and it feels a privilege to have an insight into what makes you, you !
Happy Easter to you :-)

Angela said...

Floss, what shines through your story is the way you have proved how Grace can transform life.
You have been uprooted, faced career change, language difficulties, separation from family and friends, significant family illnesses and the loss of you dear Mum - yet though all that, you can honestly describe your life as "cheery and easy"
What a great testimony! Thank you for sharing yourself with us
may God continue to guide and bless you in the days ahead

Julia said...

I love how you wrote your story, so far... I love too, how you used the word amazing. The past two years I have had 'by-words', this year it is amazed. God truly is, in every way! Thanks for sharing!

Elderberry-Rob said...

Thankyou for hosting Pause in Lent again, Floss. Although I didn't keep up every week, it has, as always helped me to focus and move forward in my journey with God. Grace is something that I would love to have more of! we did a study of it in housegroup a few years ago and it seems that when we humble ourselves, grace comes, I'm working on it!

momto8 said...

hope you had a great Easter. Yes, God is good. All the time!