“Freely you have received, freely give.”- Mathew 10:8 (NIV)
“Grace must find expression in life, otherwise it is not grace.”- Karl Barth
In Chapter 9 (“Unscrooged Hearts”) of Grace, Max Lucado tells how bridal shop owner Amy Wells gave grace to a dying man. That man, Jack Autry, had been hospitalized because he was in the final stages of melanoma. His daughter Crystal was in town to shop for a wedding dress. When Crystal had picked out her dress, she told Amy about her father. Without hesitation, Amy told Crystal to go to the hospital and model the dress for her father. Amy never asked for a credit card or a phone number. Amy’s generosity had created a moment of cascading grace- from God to Amy to Crystal to Jack.
Pastor Lucado states that 2 Corinthians 9:10 illustrates the extent of God’s overflowing grace: “He (God) supplies seed to the sower and bread for food.” Max notes that the Greek word for “supplies”, epichoregeo, combines “dance” with the verb “to lead”. In other words, when God gives, He dances for joy. Or, as only Max can phrase it:
“He (God) dispenses his goodness not with an eyedropper but a fire hydrant. Your heart is a Dixie Cup, and his grace is the Mediterranean Sea.”
Today’s question: During your desert, transition period, what opportunities have you had to extend God’s grace to others? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The Sonshine of God’s Love”
