Grace Covers Me

So, I've tried the whole blog-scene a few times. Okay, maybe more than a few. Now, I'm back at it again hoping that I'll be more faithful to it. Partly, I want to share my thoughts with the world...even if the world doesn't want to hear it, and mostly because, well, a lot is going on in my life right now and I'm excited about where the Lord is leading me and want to use this as an opportunity to delve into the depths of where the Lord is leading me.

Well, here goes nothing...

I'll spare you all the details (for now) and will instead invite you to join me in conversation on something.

About a week or so ago, I sat down with a friend/student in the Solarium at ASU. We were both eating an early lunch/late breakfast and got to talking about the good, bad, and in-between. Then out of nowhere, this student asks me about something that they've heard about in their New Testament class.

Let me first preface this by saying I was kind of shell-shocked, taken-aback, and thrown off guard when the question hit me. But nonetheless, I did my best (not worthy enough though) to answer.

"Josh, what is grace?" Whoa. Brick to the face. It isn't every day that someone, who is just now on the journey of following Christ, throws the big guns at you out of nowhere. But, when it happens, let me tell you, be prepared for whiplash cause it'll hit hard, quick, and leave you wondering what happened and how you got there. Needless to say, I was in that place.

Well, I set out to answer the question and probably, most definitely failed in answering it. I fumbled with words stringing together something about forgiveness, God's love, and a free gift. In my head it wasn't making any sense and I could tell by the look on this student's face, it wasn't making any sense either.

But now that I've thought about it some more, I think I could answer perhaps a little better and maybe more simply. And, I want to invite you in on the conversation in comments to this blog about what grace is to you.

To me, grace is an unending gift I've received of something far beyond my reach. I don't deserve it, never have and never will. I can do nothing to earn it other than to fall prostrate at the feet of my Savior, begging for repentance and understanding. It's there at the feet of my Savior that I experience grace. Grace is the tears of unconditional love, forgiveness, joy, and acceptance that Christ shed on the cross for the sake of my sin. With grace, I am forgiven of my sins and redeemed to a new life in Christ. Simply put, kind of, grace is what makes me whole when I am incomplete.

Grace covers me.

So, what is grace to you?