Thanksgiving 2010 is the Thanksgiving I will never forget. Never have I experienced more pain and yet more profound revelation than I have over the course of the past week leading up to this holiday. To put things into perspective, one of my closest friends passed away this week after a two-year battle with cancer. I will never be able to put into words the heartache I have felt over the past week as I have entered into the grieving process. My friend, Dave, was my comrade. We shared similar upbringings, spent an innumerable amount of time together having all kinds of fun, were coworkers for 3 years, and shared the unique privilege of being the two youngest pastors at our church. I have so many memories, insights, and lessons learned because of our precious friendship. One photo that has now become priceless to me captures it the best. This was Dave and I on the first day we performed baptisms, I am so glad we got to share that moment together.
Believe it or not, the truth that God has been impressing upon me since Dave's death is a lesson on His grace. Something that was said to Dave's wife has resounded in her, myself, and everyone that heard it as the clear and distinct voice of God. It comes from 2 Corinthians 12:9:
“'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.'"
God's grace is sufficient. I read recently that grace can be called God's enoughness. These are the words that were said earlier this week that have really stuck with me. "God's grace is a sufficient grace. It is always exactly what we need. But now, in the middle of this situation, you need more grace more than you've ever needed before. Since it is sufficient, that means there is a whole new measure of grace that you are going to encounter during this time."
These words perfectly capture what this week has looked like. Make no mistake, it has been absolutely terrible. But the grace that has been poured out by God is more profound than ever before. I could easily give you a definition of grace, but I've come to learn that definition does not capture the fullness of grace. Grace felt is infinitely more profound than grace explained. The grace I have felt this week is God's unmerited love and acceptance.
Something about the grace I am referring is predetermined. God was not caught off guard by the events of this week nor is He taken aback by the fact that I have felt anger, confusion, hurt, and fear. I have had my fair share of shouting bouts with God this week but now looking back it's as if He predetermined that He would loved me and "stick" with me despite my wide range of emotions. Since grace is undeserved, not about actions, it cannot be destroyed by actions.
Grace is a "no matter what" virute. When the situation get's darker, grace gets brighter. When we push harder, grace pulls harder. Grace is the ultimate stabilizer so when everything is shaking, grace goes into overdrive to counter the tremors. God's grace has kept us in His grip through all that would come to rip us away.
Now here is where the lesson becomes a challenge. Having been shown such unmerited grace, should we not also have grace on those around us? God's grace abounds when we are at our worst. Yet when others start to become volatile, our fuses run short. We must be able to show grace knowing that grace exists for the least graceful moments. When a loved one has hurt us, we must let grace abound. When a friend is struggling and we don't understand why they cannot just get over it, we must let grace abound. When a person is hurting, we must let grace abound.
When everything is ugly, grace is breathtakingly beautiful. Having felt my heart sink into some pretty dark places this week, I can tell you that the grace of God is the light that shines through all darkness. In the same way, we must be people of grace to one another and to the world around us. Let grace shine through our differences, through our conflicts, and through our challenges.The light is simply more brilliant when it has burst through the clouds.
So, after having given you a brief look into what God has been teaching me through all of this, I urge you to strive. Strive to be a person of grace. Grace makes all the difference. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for God, His grace, the fact that Heaven is a real place where we will all be together again, my wonderfully rare and astonishing wife, my friends who can love me through the good and the bad, and the fragile gift of this life. Before you dive into unmentionable amounts of food like I will, please make sure to genuinely ponder the undeserved blessings God has given you. God's enoughness is the very source of our lives. His strength grows stronger in the areas of our weakness. So celebrate Him this Thanksgiving, make an extra effort to show love to those around you.
And don't forget to say grace.