Blanket of Grace

2 Corinthians 12:9King James Version (KJV)

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Amidst the saddest and most complicated storm in my life, up until now I should say, I have found small but consistent moments of sustenance from the Word of God, from the prayers of others, and from time spent seeking calmness among the chaos.  Keyword = consistent.  I have learned that we sometimes need things in small doses so that we can fully appreciate them or allow ourselves to accept them.  We don’t run a marathon without preparation. It requires training, right!? 

The challenge is we have to purposefully LOOK and SEEK beyond our circumstances; beyond ourselves; beyond our present condition; beyond the smallness of our minds, the brokenness of our sorrow.  Even for seasoned people of Faith, for those who prefer to think of ourselves as “rock solid” Christians, we might find ourselves in conflict or the “valley of the shadow of death” too!

But! Please allow me to say again, but! Here comes one of the simplest nuggets of Faith…God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinth 12:9) I fully understand that words come cheap---but that promise is found in God’s Word! They’re not silly superficial words of my own.  You can bank on HIM! Every single time.

As the songwriter (Steven Phillips) so expressively captured, we/I have been, “covered in a blanket of grace.”

In recent times I do remember the first day in which my grief had been matched with peace. Boy, that’s a painful process, let me tell ya! (But, that’s that SUFFICIENT GRACE I was referring to earlier!)

So, the question for today is, do I remember the first day I was covered in a BLANKET of GRACE? Do you remember?

Hmm…well, thinking back on it, the FIRST day I’m acutely aware of being fully covered in grace, would have been in June 1982. That was the day I accepted Christ as my personal Savior.  I asked Him to be the Lord and Master of my life. It excites my spirit when I reflect back on the preaching of God’s Word that Sunday evening. The old fashioned altar. My pastor’s wife who so lovingly showed me God’s Word and explained how simple the plan of Salvation was/is. (Life Lesson: We can talk to God anywhere at any time. We don’t have to be in His house to experience His communication or His love!)

After all these years, all these tears, and all these fiery tests – I’m beginning to understand like I have never experienced before – the unconditional depth of God’s love.  He loves me (and you) infinitely more than I can even comprehend.

A few things to remember:

*Just because you can’t see what’s shifting behind the scenes, doesn’t mean something good isn’t happening!

*Grace covers you in every situation of life – both the big and the seemingly small

*Just like an earthly blanket offers heat, warmth, and protection from the elements - the love, the protecting hand of God, and the warmth of God cannot be stolen from you.

*God’s love for us is what carries us through the coldest and most turbulent of times

Laura Marano said, “I don’t know about you, but I think blankets are the best, especially your own personal blanket.”

LIFE LESSON:  Every Believer has his/her own blanket of grace! Allow God's grace to permeate your heart, your mind, and your personal journey.

Let’s Look Up!