It’s there–God’s Grace

I have not always believed God’s grace sufficient.  I have known the words, the promise, but not always felt their reality.  I was once a young mom with a sick baby unconsolable… who would stop breathing in our arms, leaving an empty bassinet at my bedside, even as my milk letdown…

As I sang words of God’s grace yesterday in church the images returned, of the bleak drive that rainy morning to the cemetery where the wee casket lay so unreal…as we sang, “Jesus loves me, this I know…” God’s grace was there, but it did not eliminate the crushing loss.  It shielded us, grew us up, taught us love is more than good feelings. And babies are not always born healthy and whole.  Grace has shaped our lives.  It has always been there though I doubted its efficacy.

 

But today, I am at the opposite end of that journey. I woke with this song still singing through my heart calming my pre-trip-packing jitters.  I’m breathing in your grace, breathing out your praise… I got up to enjoy the quiet and as I sat in the sun-flooded warmth jotting down these thoughts, the phone rang to announce the sweet news–another baby has been born into my world.  My own daughter’s first child, a strapping baby boy with a great shock of dark hair like his mother before him.  He is alive. He is well.  God’s great grace has carried him and his mama and his daddy through a long waiting and labor.  But he is born.

And my heart, a lot older, and a little wiser, sings, knowing it is true–God’s grace is there in the newborn cry /It’s there in the light of every sunrise / It’s there on a wedding day / There in the weeping by the graveside —God’s great grace. It finds me.

And it is enough.

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us
Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us
Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
–LS
 “For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.  Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth…
Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!” Ps.135:5,6,13,20

4 thoughts on “It’s there–God’s Grace

  1. Whoa did I need that! Even more importantly, I know several people who need it more than I so I’m passing it on. Bless you for being an open vessel! love, Meema

  2. Congratulations on the new grand baby!
    And somehow, by the dark magic of computer unwieldy-ness, I am no longer receiving notifications of your blog posts . . .
    I came looking today, because it had been a while.
    I am going to try to “resubscribe” — I’m wondering if computers are Calvinists, so we will find out now.

  3. I had noted some time back, Michele, that you were ‘following’ via WordPress but not actually subscribed… One option just let’s you know in your dashboard. The other announces new posts in your email. I think that’s how it works. I hope you’ve sorted it out now

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