GOD'S GRACE - 20

 

Saturday, July 31, 2021

     This 'Life Lesson' began to form somewhere around the beginning of June. Not sure exactly what I was doing when I had the thought, "I really need to go through Jared's things." 

     Each person has their own unique way of handling grief. Personally, I tend to keep everything I possibly can; then about once a year or so go through it - usually wondering why I've kept this or that and each time I get rid of a little more. I did this over 30 years ago when my mother passed and again with Jared. I had put his clothes that I kept back in the dresser due to Jared's Jeans (please see that page for an explanation). While I did make a few things that sold I haven't done it for a while, but hope to. The difference with Jared - I've never gone through his things or wanted to.

     Now, it was time to go through his things and to take his clothes out of the dresser and put them in a storage bin. But why now Lord? It was a few weeks later that I thought to myself, "I can't believe it's going to be 5 years since Jared died." That's when I had my "lightbulb" moment. The number 5 in Hebrew represents God's Grace. It is all in His timing. I confirmed this on Biblestudy.org - the number 5 symbolizes God's grace, goodness, and favor toward humans and is mentioned 318 times in Scripture. 5x5 is grace upon grace - seen in John 1:16, "For from His fullness we have all received grace upon grace."

     I know we've all heard the song "Amazing Grace" but why is grace so amazing and so powerful? My attempts to answer this would be very feeble indeed, so I'm just going to give the definition of grace as found in the Strong's Concordance. It is word #5485. Graciousness/gratifying, divine influence on the heart and it's reflection in the life; favor, gift; grace - particularly that which causes joy, pleasure. Every kind of favor, blessing, good as proceeding from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

      Our first encounter with grace is, usually, the saving grace seen in Titus 2:11, "For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all people,". In this verse Strong's states that Grace is exhibited in the pardon of our sins and admission to the divine kingdom. Then Ephesians 2:8 explains that salvation is a gift.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift from God;".

  Grace has nothing to do with us and everything to do with God. It's like I'm an empty watering can under the faucet of God and His grace is the water that comes out and fills me up. People hear me, something is going to fill you up and it's up to you to choose what it's going to be. Will it be the things of the world, stress, worry, fear, disease... or will you choose the grace of God? Also, we have the choice as to how full we'll be and how much grace gets in.  How we live our lives determines if we cause a blockage over the top of the watering can. If there is a blockage you can rest assured it's not the Lord causing it.

    We are exhorted in 2 Peter 3:18, "but grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." How does one grow in grace? Stay under the faucet!! In other words, stay close to the Source - Jesus, the Father, and don't let anything block the flow of the Holy Spirit. I believe every 'Life Lesson' has caused me to grow in grace. Each one represents a choice I've had to make. Let me tell you, lest you think I'm floating on a cloud, that in the last 5 years I have not always chosen wisely and those Life Mistakes would be waaay past 20 lessons!!

       In conclusion, I'd like to clarify that there is nothing 'mystical' about the number 5. Remember, grief is unique. This is simply how my Father interacts with me. He will speak to you and meet your needs in away that you will not be able to deny that the love of God is working in your life. You can share it with others, in hopes of encouraging and strengthening them, but it will never be exactly like anyone else experience. After all our Creator is very creative and knows each one of us intimately. So take the lid off and get under the faucet. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain!

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 I want to let you know that on July 15th I did go through Jared's things 

and his clothes are now in a bin - except for a few T-shirts 

that might have ended up in my closet :-)