Fall Into Grace

The thunder rumbles in the distance, but the rain still falls.  It's not coming in sheets anymore, and I'm tired of waiting, so we make a run for it.  From the livestock building at the county fair, we dash to our favorite place to eat, the local Lion's Club tent.  The boys run ahead of me, laughing and dodging puddles.  I jog behind with The Princess in my arms, ducking the steady stream from the clouds, watching her damp hair curl and eyes squint.

The door is in sight, and I slow slightly as I watch the boys slip safely indoors.  And then I slip too.  I slip and sliiiiiide as in slow motion I realize the river of water has puddled inside as well.  I scramble to break Baby Girl's fall as I sprawl on wet concrete.  She cries as she bounces off of me and into the small pond that is the indoors.

image by velma

Some falls are private.  We trip up the stairs, carrying a basket too heavily-laden with piled up laundry.  No one is there to watch the clumsy mess.

Some falls are private.  We inwardly wrestle with ungracious thoughts.  We struggle with jealousy, bitterness, anger, laziness, selfishness.

Some falls are public.  They leave us with a limp and a wet backside for all to see.

Some falls are public.  We gossip, are rude or impatient with others, brag about accomplishments, get caught in dishonesty.

Private or public, all falls hurt eventually.  If our conscious allows, they leave us sore and and regretful.  And our hearts stiffen over time if we don't allow the Spirit's work in our lives.

But if we do allow, grace will cover all falls. 

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."  Romans 3:23

After picking up Baby Girl from the puddle, I turn the corner to see my dad.  I explain what happened, and he mops up the problem.  Grace, you see.  It wasn't his mess, it wasn't his impatient-with-waiting, foolish running in the rain.

God has done, does, and will do the same.

Fall into His Grace. 







Gifts of Grace #151 -  167 :

God's grace to forgive and redeem

bruises heal

fun at the county fair

pork chops

hand-dipped ice cream cones

fresh-from-our-garden corn-on-the-cob

the first ripe tomato

the first cucumbers

Baby Girl carrying her baby girls

playing farmer

nothing went wrong

my mom and dad back safe from vacation

good books

accountability partners

the Psalms

clean sheets

rain

Fall Into Grace