Grace in All Things by Sue Stahl
2 Cor 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
Lately I have been overwhelmed by the grace that the Holy Spirit brings into my life.
It comes in ways unexpected and I am humbled and grateful and reminded of who I am….a child of God, a new creation in Christ, a light in the darkness.
Two recent experiences were reminders of this. The circumstances not hard and pressing but still profound in what they represent as my identity in Christ is built and confirmed.
One of these events was when Eric and I were traveling and my luggage was lost.
After the reality sunk in and the agent of the airlines brought us into the ‘lost luggage office’, my immediate response was the ‘oh no, you must be kidding’ attitude along with feelings of disgust, but then within seconds I felt the presence of the Spirit saying ‘don’t worry about it’ and His peace came upon me.I didn’t ask Him. He just came. In that moment I knew who I was. My response to the agent was then kind, sweet and joking around…Thank you Lord! That is Christ in me.
Now as I write this, I am at my daughter’s house getting things ready for her wedding in a few days. I put on praise and worship music as I sorted through the décor and checked off the things to do list. In the midst of it I thought about the two sets of parents of the groom that I hadn’t met or didn’t know well. The biological ‘mom’ at one point had circumstances happen in her life that lead to her son (the groom) spending his high school years being raised by a new ‘mom’ and family that adopted him for those years.
In that moment, I knew the Spirit was speaking. I was to send the distant mom a word of encouragement about how great a job she did raising her son. No judgment, nothing I need to know, just a sincere welcome and appreciation that she could join in the celebration with us.
God’s pure and perfect love sent forth by His Spirit for His purposes. A prayer lifted for God to let her know His love.
Again His grace upon me. My personality and busyness to get this list done first would be my natural inclination, but now my supernatural inclination was to stop and send that word.
The rivers of living water flowing brought again a peace and perspective so that I could put things aside and write this as my place of praise, my reminder of the grace and goodness of our God!
Yes, in many areas I still feel like it’s all about my flesh leading but from grace to grace He leads.
In my places where I struggle I can call on to the same Abba Father in a place of hope knowing that change will come because that is what He does! I am a new creation in Christ. Thank you Lord.
Thank You Jesus for the excitement in the forever growing in grace and knowledge of who You are which changes who we are. Thank you for a grace the not only opens the door to the Father but creates us to become as You were in this world. One day face to face we look forward to meeting You in fullness Jesus. The bride awaits your return. Amen
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” -2 Cor 5:17