The arrival of Jesus was a new genesis.  A new relationship with God almighty became available.

With Jesus we are able to see God as Creator, Master, and now Friend.

There are many times in my day when I thank the Lord that I was not born pre-Jesus.  During the time when God’s law was so specific and clear, His boundaries so firm. Lord knows that if I had lived then I would have been stoned to death or cast out at some point.  (I say that lightly, but I realize there’s so much depth and confusion there.  Not trying to tackle all that today though.)

But, with Jesus, there is so much grace.  Favor, blessing, hope – things I do not deserve.

Now, let me be clear, this does not mean that I always feel favored or blessed or hopeful.  I am far too human for that.  It does mean, however, that I get to remember the grace I live in on a daily basis.

Grace.

A word with so much depth of meaning.

A word that is taken for granted and watered down.

A word that we can’t ignore.  As believers.  As humans.  As people in need of a Savior.  And as people in need of each other.

We need so much grace.

And, yet, we forget how much grace we need, how much grace we’re given each and every day.

Maybe we struggle with the idea of grace because we haven’t let it move from our heads to our hearts. We know that grace is “unmerited favor,” “receiving the good that we don’t deserve.”  But we don’t really know what that means for us personally.

Or, maybe we struggle with grace because we don’t know how to apply it in all the different situations that life puts us in.

What does grace mean for us as people who still make mistakes?

What does grace look like when our loved ones embarrass us?

What does grace do for our friend who is actively making bad choices and sees it as good?

What does grace mean for our bodies when we live in a world that is full of so much brokenness?  And, our bodies feel that brokenness.

In order to live in grace everyday we must be willing to live in the tension of being broken vessels AND made new.  We are both/and.

And, grace meets us in this in-between, in this both/and.

There are so many challenges that this both/and presents.  Challenges in our relationships.  Challenges with our time.  Challenges with ourselves.

One such challenge is the truth that we can be both humble and confident at the same time. We are humbled every time we remember that we are not perfect.  We are broken.  And, we hurt ourselves and others more than we care to admit.

Even on days we think we’re doing well, Scripture tells us that our most righteous works are as filthy rags.  Y’all, this is so humbling when I think about the day that I’m really jamming with Jesus – the day that I’ve been so patient and so kind – the day that I’ve loved my neighbor and helped my brother – that day is like a bucket of used rags that’s been sitting in dirty water for weeks.  I don’t even want to try to imagine that smell.

And, yet, Christ died for me, this bucket of smelly rags. 

He turned this bucket into a beautiful temple of the living Lord and decided to dwell within it.

Not because of A. SINGLE. THING. I. HAVE. DONE. 

When we truly embrace this truth, which I confess is easier said than done, then we can live in the confidence of who God says we are.  We are His kids.  His creation.  His good thing.

With this confidence we can accept that we’re supposed to try hard and acknowledge our limitations at the same time.

We can show kindness to ourselves and others when today isn’t the day we reach that goal.

And, we can acknowledge that grace is here to find us in the in-between.  That grace is what sustains us as we wait.  Grace is what sustains us as we long for more.  And, grace gives us permission to take breaks and rest.

May we learn how to experience this grace.  The grace that gives us permission to rest our minds.

To rest our hearts.

To rest our souls.

And to rest our bodies.

Father, thank you for grace.

I know I don’t understand all that grace offers.

And, I confess that I take your grace for granted more often than I want.

I don’t want to take advantage of your grace.

But, I don’t want to be scared or numb to it either.

Help me.

Help my mind

and my heart

and my soul

and my body find rest in your grace.

Amen.