Grace

Grace - Unmerited favor toward the GUILTY.

Reading this definition of the word "grace" shook me to my core.

My whole life, I've always been a "good girl"; Awana as a child, youth group leader through Jr. High and High School, missions trips in high school and college, member of a christian sorority in college, bible study leader as an adult, so on and so forth, blah blah blah.

At age 26, I'm still a virgin.

Never smoked a cigarette.

Never tried any sort of drug.

Never... Well, let's put it this way:  'Never Have I Ever' is a game where everyone puts ten fingers up and you go around in a circle saying things YOU'VE never done.  Then, if someone in the circle has done that thing, they put a finger down.  Typically, the things mentioned in the game are things of a naughty nature.  You win this game by being the last person with fingers still up; I've never lost that game.

That night at the bible study, that definition of the word grace shook me, because I never considered myself guilty.  I mean, yeah, I've lied, gossiped, thought ill of people, but I never did anything that bad.  At least my sins weren't as bad as other people's.

Is anyone noticing a theme here?  My thoughts on and views of life and even my salvation, were all about ME ME ME.

As I came to this realization, I was nothing but disgusted with myself.  I had become what I had most feared; a pious christian.

At what point did I think I had any sort of leg up on any other human that walked this green earth?  God created ALL of us and called ALL of us, his ARTWORK (Eph 2:10).  We are his artwork, his workmanship.  The greek word for workmanship is POIEMA, which is where we get the English word poem.  Poems are beautiful, and intricate, and express pattern and rhythm.  This is what we all are; no matter what we've done or haven't done.  And NONE of us are any more or less beautiful in God's eyes; no matter what the world tells us.

Grace is mentioned OVER and OVER and OVER again, all through out the bible.  We are ALL in equal, dire need of it.  NO ONE is less or more deserving than any other of this FREE gift.

I need God's grace for my sinful pride, my elevation of self; among other things.  What do you need God's grace for?

A Fruit a Day...

I recently decided that I am going to eat a fruit a day.  How long this idea lasts... remains to be seen.  Today's fruit:  kiwi.  I REALLY like going to target, and I live really close.  SO.. the plan is to go to target (or any store) and get a different fruit every day.  That way, there's variety and variated vitamins.  Can life get better?  I submit that it cannot.