Memorial Box Monday - Grace

When I look back on my life - GRACE is the word that stands out.  I always say that I have 4 favorite words - Grace, love, mercy and forgiveness.  Without these, I wouldn't be here!  I had the good fortune of growing up with godly parents who loved me and nurtured me.  I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was 8 years old.  That was my first understanding of grace - Jesus dying on the cross for me and my decision to accept Him as my Savior.  I had pretty smooth sailing as a child until the 8th grade when I was extremely influenced by peer pressure and strayed off the path significantly for the next several years.  Pretty typical high school poor decisions - but foolish all the same. 

The summer between my sophomore and junior year - God tried to get my attention in several ways - both positive and negative.  I think that the crustiness that had been growing on my heart began to soften and I really began to question how I got where I was in my life.  It really wasn't me.  That fall, I was waiting outside of basketball practice for a friend of mine and a man I had never met came up to me and introduced himself.  He said "Hi, my name is Kim Talley and I am the new Young Life leader at your school.  Hope you will come check it out."  He looked me in the eye and shook my hand as he spoke to me.  That was it - basically a one sentence conversation but when I looked at his face, I felt like I was seeing the face of Jesus.  I said to myself, "Whatever that man has, I want it!" and that was the beginning of my true journey of Grace!  I had to trust the Lord to forgive all the poor choices I had been making and take my life and do something with it.  For some, their decision to follow Christ and make Jesus Lord of their life is simultaneous.  For me - there was an almost 9 year gap!  As I began to be involved in Young Life and began to really study the Bible for myself, my life began to dramatically change.  I have to say that life lived for the Lord was immeasurably better than that "great" life I thought I was living those years before.  I remember these heavy feelings of guilt being replaced by a grateful heart for God's love, grace, mercy and forgiveness.  I got to see the Lord do some amazing things in my High School over those next two years.  It was life changing and not a day goes by that I am not reminded of that.

I would say that ever since I was a high school student - I have loved students!  It has been 34 years since that life changing fall and the Lord has given me numerous opportunities to be involved with students.  Nothing gives me more joy.  So much grace has been poured over my life that I love to see that grace extended to others.  I have a frame with the word GRACE in it prominently displayed in my house along with a photograph I took of a Grace Court street sign in Brooklyn. They are constant reminders of what I have received and what I desperately want to give to others.  How can I not extend grace when so much as been given to me? 

There is an acronym for Grace that you may have seen:  God's Riches At Christ's Expense -- I don't want to ever minimize or forget at what a high cost this grace on my life came at.  This grace cost Jesus' death on the cross - and yet He lives as my Risen Savior and Grace abounds.  I don't have the words to express my gratitude.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:8-10

 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;  2 Corinthians 9:7-9 

 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  2 Corinthians 12:8-10 

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.  Ephesians 4:28-30

 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.  Colossians 4:5-7    

If you are a follower of Christ, grace should be over everything that you say and do.  Our actions, thoughts, speech and conversations should be flowing with grace.  Who am I to judge when so much grace has been bestowed on me?  I believe that others will be drawn to Christ because we extend love, mercy, grace and forgiveness.  Even the crustiest of hearts can become tender when grace is shown.

So on this Memorial Box Monday - I look back at all the ways that Jesus has shown grace to me and I am humbled beyond measure.  He is such a Gracious God and this girl is certainly grateful.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
2 Thessalonians 3:17-18