2 Corinthians 13:14 “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (NIV)

We stood in a circle. Our hands interlocked so we formed an unbroken chain. Eyes closed in solemn prayer. As the prayer ended, we repeated, in unison, 2 Corinthians 13:14 and then said AMEN. A familiar ritual for me, the words spoken effortlessly but full of peace and comfort. Today, they still stir memories in me. Memories of a time gone by not so long ago.

That circle of people stood in a field in rural Kenya. The land was our field or more accurately, God’s field. The land would one day hold an orphanage. We walked across the area in a prayer walk on that particular day. Hopes held high, and hearts full of what the future held for this God-sized dream.

Before long, the work began and so did the struggles and questions. Where would the money come from to build? How would we manage this project from far away? Did God call me to do this or was it just a fantasy? I felt so ill-equipped to do this work. I wanted to quit, give it over to someone else, or just run far, far away. But beneath all the turmoil, I felt it. The Grace of God, it had prepared me, helped me and pushed me ever forward. Finally, one day I stood in the same spot as the prayer circle years earlier. Several buildings surrounded me and children’s laughter filled the air. God’s plans now completed and his orphans cared for in a beautiful home.

“Grace may be defined as the unmerited or undeserving favor of God to those who are under condemnation.” – Paul Enns, Moody Handbook of Theology

It is the Grace of God which saves us. But it also something deeper. Daily, we receive God’s Grace to get through the grind of our lives. God breathes an unmerited and undeserving favor into each 0f our days. His Grace helped me to build the orphanage in Kenya. His Grace provided hope to the one who lost a job today or the person who received a difficult medical diagnosis. This Grace is the hope that keeps us going day after day, in the drudgery of life’s difficulties. God even provides Grace during a difficult election cycle. And He will provide Grace for tomorrow no matter who is elected President. As the Hymnist wrote years ago, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.” It is sweet, and it is available to each of us every day. God’s Grace is just a prayer away.

May the Lord Bless you and keep.

Yvonne

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”