Amazing Grace

The other day I wore my Amazing Grace sweatshirt to Hobby Lobby.  After I loaded my treasures into my car I pushed the cart back to the store. A woman was just about to enter the store when I asked if she’d like my cart. I told her it rides nice. She was grateful and then told me she loved my sweatshirt. She said more people need to step out for God. My first thought was that I should ask her if she wanted to know all the ways that God has blessed me with his grace and how grateful I am. But I wished her a good day instead and I thought about grace on my drive home.

When I was a liar, he still fed me.

When I was prideful, he let me fall into his arms. 

When I took things that weren’t mine, he still clothed me. 

When I was weak, he gave me strength.

When I failed my children, he gave me their love.

When I didn’t pray, he listened to what I wasn’t saying. 

When I thought I had it altogether, he showed me I didn’t. 

When I wasn’t honest, he gave me time to make amends.

When I spoke out of turn, he humbled me. 

When I reacted instead of listening, he humbled me again. 

When I didn’t believe, he showed me truth. 

When I was afraid and alone, he brought others to me. 

When I was beaten down, he gave me a scarf in the Kroger parking lot. 

When I felt invisible, he sent strangers to lift my spirit. 

When I felt insignificant, he sent me sweet notes from my children. 

When I was wrong, he gave me painful lessons to learn from. 

When I fell hard because of my strong will, he still picked me up.

When I was struggling, he gave me close friends. 

When my checkbook was in the negative, he made sure I had enough. 

When I was cruel, he pricked my conscience. 

When I walked away from him in anger, he gave me time to realize that I used anger as an excuse to keep from serving and honoring him.

When I think about all the sins I have committed throughout my life, I’m deeply ashamed. I am grateful that God didn’t just take me out because he saw there was no hope that I could ever be a good person. Thankfully, he never viewed me as hopeless. He believed in me even when I was ugly.

He noted my day-to-day struggles, the pain I carried since my childhood, and my anger. Through it all, he saw that the deepest part of my heart was good. Therefore, to him, I had potential. 

He didn’t remove painful obstacles, but rather he let me walk through them. Even when I felt alone during those hard times he was there waiting on the other side. Through his grace, grace I do not deserve, he continues to bless me.

It’s funny that I never cared for the song Amazing Grace. I liked so many hymns better. But it wasn’t until last year I began to really think about the words with greater appreciation. And then I heard it played with bagpipes and the song filled my soul.

When I think of his grace, I can’t help but think of  God’s Son. I don’t deserve Jesus either but God said I do. And who am I to argue with him. So I will accept his love, his Son, his lessons, and his amazing grace. ♥️

Andi

In reference to the scarf: https://coffeewithandi.com/2024/01/04/the-scarf-3/