Grace for Grace

We shared a few minutes at church on Sunday about our experiences over the last 19 months. It was somewhat overwhelming trying to decide what to say.... how to condense 19 months in just a couple of minutes! It was a good exercise, however, to think again about all that has occurred, all we have learned, all the ways God has provided for us physically, emotionally and spiritually. I know that our faith has grown in ways that it never would have outside of a trial. We have come to know God so much better and have come to love Him more.

For me, the last 9 months of starting a business has been more difficult than the 10 months of job hunting before that. I think that is because the time of searching for a job allows you to always be looking towards something that might just be your light at the end of the tunnel. While, building a business... well, I guess I just feel like we were thrust back in the middle of a long tunnel again. We believe God opened up the doors for the business and it is hard to understand why He still is not using the work we do there to meet our physical needs. It was what I fully expected, and I have had to readjust my thinking a serious bit! I have come to believe that God is just taking our trust level up another notch. Having gone a long 19 months without a paycheck is unbelievable. There is absolutely no way it could be possible without God mastering the whole thing. I should testify again to you all.... our flour and oil still are not empty!! We have not missed a payment, we have not missed a meal. It doesn't make sense when you look at it from the natural.... only within the supernatural is it possible.

If you have a chance, listen to the FBC podcast. (Yes, we've entered the 21st century at FBC! Just go to the itunes store and search our church's name.) Pastor is doing a series of messages about God's grace. The first two were wonderful. One of the things he talked about this Sunday is that every need in our life is an opportunity for God to share His grace.

He also talked about how God provided water, manna, and quail for the Israelites when they were wandering in the dessert. They were instructed to collect the manna every morning, and they couldn't store it up for the next day or later. Pastor compared that to God's grace. His grace is "new every morning". God's grace from yesterday is not for today. Every day that you experience grace in your life it becomes easier to trust in God in many ways, but you can't depend on yesterday's grace for today, or store today's up for tomorrow. "Fresh needs, fresh supply". It was such a great explanation of the cycle I find myself in during the struggle to remain optimistic and to continue to trust in God when things aren't going the way I would like them to. It is frustrating to me when I'm running on empty.... I feel like I'm being weak and failing. But, after Pastor's message I have a new understanding of this... each day I must go back to God for another measure of grace... enough grace to get through the next day. Or on a really bad day... enough grade to get through the next hour.

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Lam. 3:20-22

"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another."

John 1:16 (NIV)