Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Fields of Grace

During my morning walk on the nature trails, a song kept running through my head: “Dancing with my Father God in fields of praise.” But my mind changed “praise” to “grace.” Over and over I heard those words in my head: “Dancing with my Father God in fields of grace.” My feet kept the rhythm as I walked and contemplated those words. “Grace” quickly moved to the forefront of my thoughts. My grandmother, named Grace, lived graciously. My mother, also named Grace, was a gracious hostess who loved a house full of company. My name, Nancy, means “full of grace,” my cousin named her daughter Grace, and one of my granddaughters is Emma Grace. Grace has become a family name.

The song, of course, refers to a different kind of grace, the grace of God who is willing to forgive all us sinners and allow us access to His throne room. Only through His grace will we be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. The idea of dancing in fields of grace is so joyous and freeing. Can you imagine dancing for joy in God’s presence?

As I continue walking, the words sink home. Isn’t the church our field of grace? None of us is perfect. We all desperately need God’s grace. The church is merely a family of people who’ve accepted God’s grace. But it’s more than that. It’s a family of people who extend God’s grace to others and to each other. Let’s be sure that “grace” is a family name in our church. Just as we’ve received God’s grace, let us all freely extend grace to one another and dance together joyfully with our Father God.

I Timothy 1:14 “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

1 comment: