Surprised by Grace

This blog is mainly written because I don't want to forget these seemingly insignificant details that have happened over the last few days which have been given to me as a gift from God.

I have seen that CS Lewis has a book called Surprised by Joy and though I have never read it, it may be creeping up on my must read list after this weekend. This weekend I was surprised by grace. The great grace that only can be received by God. The last few months have been hard for me. (Probably one of the reasons that I haven't been blogging). I have felt distant from the Lord and like I wasn't doing enough, saying enough, worshipping enough, being Christian enough, embracing community enough, and serving enough. My relationship with God was becoming about works and I wasn't measuring up. But God got my attention this weekend. He surprised me with Grace. He surprised me because nothing in my life changed but He came anyways, and blessed me anyways even though I felt like I didn't deserve it or should even receive it. Grace, grace God's grace. I still don't get why He did it, but I know that it changed things with me. I feel different than I did last Thursday. The guilt and regret has gone and grace and mercy have filled those places in my heart and mind. I am worthy because God considers me His daughter. He has granted me grace in spite of my sinfulness.

Grace came in many different forms. Here are just a few:

Grace in seeing my best friend get married to the most amazing perfect for her man, who swept her off of her feet and is God's tangible answer to her years of prayers.

Grace came in a long conversation with someone I didn't know before Friday but that encouraged me in ways I wasn't anticipating.

Grace in two sweet worship songs that I sung at the top of my lungs on my drive home from the wedding which included the lines: "your love is deeper than my view of grace, higher than this worldly place, longer than the road I travel, wider than the gap you fill" and "you make all things work together for my good, you stay the same through the ages, your love never changes, there may be pain in the night, but joy comes in the morning, and when the ocean's rage I don't have to be afraid because I know that you love me and your love never fails."

Grace in the amazing sunset surrounded me with as I was singing at the top of my lungs about His grace and His love.

Grace in the way that the mountains looked as I drove into Simi Valley.

In the grace that I received from God I found Hope. Hope that I was lacking in the past few months. I lost hope, and now I have it again, but not the silly hope based on feelings, but the hope that comes from knowing that I have a heavenly Father who loves me enough to send His Son to die on the cross for my sins the ultimate grace. Grace provides hope, and hope is like a cold gust of wind on a terrifically hot day.