Grace Guy - www.graceguy.org

Last year, I wrote about the invisible Grace of that happened on this miraculous time. I was (and still am) amazed at the apparent paradoxes that happened on that day.

Christmas is so many things to so many people.  But above all, Christmas is Love coming down and giving Grace to those who have faith.

Enjoy Brian Johnson's 'Love came Down'.

When I was a young boy, I had found a collection of inspirational poems in a used book shop. I begged my mom to pay the indicated 4$ (and even included the guilt-inducing wide eyes). She was graceful enough to oblige and I began to read it fervently. 

It has since become the best 4$ investment I ever begged my mom to make. Out of that collection was a poem called 'The Touch of the Master's Hands'. 

I wrote a short blog post a while back on it but I recently stumbled upon an essay of the author by Lilly Walters, from the 'One Hand Typing and Keyboarding'.  

For Myra, writing such a telling image of Grace came from a deep personal experience. Enjoy Ms Walters' bio of Ms Brook Welch.
 
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Meet Myra Brooks Welch.

Myra Brooks Welch, a resident of La Verne, California, was called "The poet with the singing soul." Hers was a very musical family. As a young woman, Myra’s special love was playing the organ.

In 1921, she heard a speaker address a group of students. She said she became filled with light, and "Touch of the Master’s Hand wrote itself in 30 minutes!" She sent it anonymously to her church news bulletin. She felt it was a gift from God, and didn’t need her name on it. It’s popularity spread like magic. Finally, several years later, the poem was read at a religious international convention - "author unknown." A young man stood up and said, "I know the author, and it’s time the world did too. It was written by my mother, Myra Welch."
    
Then her name, as well her other beautiful works of poetry became known worldwide. All of her poetry told of the rejoicing she had in God’s love.

What the world did not see, was the woman who created these masterpieces: Myra in her wheelchair, battered and scarred from severe arthritis, which had taken away her ability to make music. Instead, her musical soul spoke through her poetry. 
She took one pencil in each of her badly disabled hands. Using the eraser end, she would slowly type the words, the joy of them outweighing the pain of her efforts. Her words, a joyous expression of the wonders of life, as seen by a singing soul, touched by the Master’s Hand.

(c) 2003, Lilly Walters, from the 'One Hand Typing and Keyboarding' 

Once in a very rare blue moon, a story comes along that takes my breath away, pulls out the tears hidden deep in my ducts and rips my attention away from everything else. In return, the story gives back an undying admiration to the graceful choices made, the inspiration to live courageously and a fresh perspective on 'sweating my small stuff'. 

But beyond the touching story, beyond the singing talent, beyond the courage to go on stage, I am in awe of the mother's compassion, mercy and grace. Moira Kelly chose to care for and raise abandoned and disabled brothers she found at an orphanage.

I can't help but see this as an example of God's Grace towards me. I was crippled by my sin, helpless and abandoned in a shoebox without hope and facing certain death. He reached down, through Christ,  to find me, to take care of me, to love me, to guide me and to give an eternal hope for an eternal home.

Enjoy the blue moon.

This is the first of a multi-part part series about the interaction Christ had with the woman at the well in John 4. It is a rich, intense, inspiring, deep and profound story with many lessons on Grace. 

Here is a word-for-word representation of the story, taken from the very accurate movie 'Gospel of John'. 

And here is a touching modern day monologue of what that woman must have felt. It speaks for itself.

The detailed analysis in parts 2+.

Once in a very blue moon, a song comes along and grabs hold of my heart, brings me to my knees, steers my eyes towards heaven and rips away from me all the tears I've been holding inside. I was recently graced to hear such a masterpiece. This song perfectly describes my relationship with God's Graces, especially in the midst of harsh trials. 

I know He wants the best for me. I know His blessings are mine. I know He gave everything for me... and I secretly expect all these blessings to be a string of good news, gently sprinkled throughout my life. 

But what if that wasn't the way God works ?

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
...
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy'

Grace. It's also in the raindrops, the tears and the sleepless nights. Thank you Laura.

It is impossible to be able to imagine the height, the depth, the width and the length of Grace. It surpasses anything one could imagine, purposely.

But sometimes, if I look with the right eyes, God's creation provides hints of His Grace - some minute glimpse that reminds us of His irrational love and inspires us to get closer to Him.

This video does just that. I could not help but think of Grace watching this.

A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall. 

They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever good enough! 

When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters... 

That's why you have to be careful with whom you share your blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed... 

It's dangerous to be like somebody else... If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given you what He gave them! Right? 

You never know what people have gone through to get what they have... 
The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story... 
If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too! 

We've all got some haters among us! 

Some people envy you because you can: 
a) Have a relationship with God 
b) Light up a room when you walk in 
c) Start your own business 
d) Tell a man / woman to hit the curb (if he / she isn't about the right thing) 
e) Raise your children without both parent being in the home 

Haters can't stand to see you happy. 
Haters will never want to see you succeed. 

Most of our haters are people who are supposed to be on our side. 

How do you handle your undercover haters? 

You can handle these haters by: 

1. Knowing who you are & who your true friends are (VERY IMPORTANT!!) 
2. Having a purpose to your life: 
Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. 
A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be. 
Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you. 
3. By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not human manipulation. 

Fulfill your dreams! You only have one life to live...when its your time to leave this earth, you 'want' to be able to say, 'I've lived my life and fulfilled 'my' dreams... Now I'm ready to go HOME! 

When God gives you favor, you can tell your haters, 
'Don't look at me...Look at Who is in charge of me...' 

Pass this to all of your family & friends who you know are not hating on you including the person who sent it to you. If you don't get it back, maybe you called somebody out! Don't worry about it, it's not your problem, it's theirs.. Just pray for them, that their life can be as fulfilled as yours! Watch out for Haters...BUT most of all don't become a HATER! 

I often marvel at Jesus' ability to see the heart, the intent and the thoughts of the person in front of Him. This ability, a unique characteristic of God, was prevalent in the Old Testament as well. For example, when Samuel searched for the next king after Saul, The Lord told him 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.' (1 Samuel 16:7)

Jesus really saw them, saw who they were and what they were thirsting for. He saw their quest. With those who humbly and genuinely searched the truth, He graced them with His time, His knowledge, His healing, His love. He could judge their humility in 'real-time' and dispense Grace to those who needed it.

There are too many examples of Jesus seeing people truly as they were: naked, desperate, sick, humiliated, curious, empty, hungry, thirsty. 

Of them: the disciples at their calling, Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman at the well, the centurion, the thousands of followers and the multitudes, the widow of Nain, Jairus, Peter on the water, the Gentile woman, the blind man in Bethsaida, the adulterous woman, Mary and Martha, Zacchaeus, the paralytic lowered from the roof, Lazarus, the one leper who came back, the rich young ruler, the blind man near Jericho, all of Jerusalem, the thief on the cross, the weeping women at the cross, Mary Magdalene at the tomb, the disciples at His appearing, etc.

One particular telling example is the forgiven woman, told in Luke 7:36-50. Simon, the Pharisee, saw what we would have seen: uncleanness, sin, a wasted life. Jesus saw the worth of her soul, the warmth of her sacrifice, the willingness of her service which brought her to the withdrawal of her sin. Ironically, Simon did not realize the depth of his own sin and his lack of love resulted in a lack of appreciation of God's forgiveness.

There were unfortunately ample 'Simons' in His time. Jesus saw hardened hearts and pride in those who seeked only to discredit Him, hurt Him, discount Him, trap Him, kill Him. He could see their insidious intentions and was often able to respond in kind (link to Pharisees). 

Of them: the Devil, the Pharisees, the scribes, the Sadduceens, Judas, the moneychangers in the temple, the followers who wanted more signs. 

So what about me ? It's great to see Jesus' ability in action, but how can I emulate Him ? This strange person in front of me: what is the intent ? the heart ? the thoughts ?

Here's what I discovered was the way to get to know them:

1. Find the time to be completely available
   
2. Ask open-ended questions
   
3. Listen intently to their answers
   
4. Repeat to make sure I understand
5. Admit I don't know the solution
6. Listen to them some more
   
7. Connect with their emotion, no matter how irrational it sounds
8. Genuinely care
   
9. ... And did I mention listening ?
   

Are they frustrated, irritated, overwhelmed, doubting, dissapointed, searching, discouraged, angry, worried, insecure, carrying guilt, unworthy, desperate, fearful, powerless ?

Why ? and how can I listen more ?

It's at that point that Jesus gave Grace. And it's only then that I can give Grace.

One of the most dramatic expressions of Grace is Forgiveness. When I am forgiven, the rain of Grace quenches the depths of my inadequacies and fills me with immeasurable hope. 

But when it is I that should forgive another, help another who has deeply wronged me to feel that same grace and hope, I simply don't know how. I often feel that the wound is too deep, to important. I desire to forgive but I have problems forgetting and trusting.

So what is forgiveness ? How do I dispense Grace when I forgive ? Should I pretend as if nothing ever happened ? If so, how do I protect myself from it happening again ?

That's why this video speaks volumes to me. It is an excerpt from The Lord's Prayer series by Mark Driscoll at the Mars Hill Church Ballard campus in Seattle, Washington on September 19, 2010. It lists 10 things that forgiveness is NOT.

Here they are in order. Forgiveness is NOT:
1. Approving or diminishing
2. Enabling sin
3. Denying a wrongdoing
4. Waiting for an apology
5. Forgetting
6. Ceasing to feel the pain
7. A one time event
8. Neglecting justice
9. Trusting
10. Reconciliation

This has helped me apply Grace, as well as Truth, in understanding how I am forgiven, as well as how I should forgive others.

In this interesting clip, John Bevere focuses on the empowering role that Grace has in our lives. Grace saves... and it sustains and perfects too.

This is something I did not fully grasp until I started on this website. I knew of saving Grace, but I see that Grace is actually the source of all these things in my life. It is therefore the power that makes it all possible. Not my own deeds or worth, but Grace.