One day, walking through my living room, I heard “Grace, you’ve had a good life.” Immediately I stopped in my tracks. “SELF?! What did you just say to yourself?! Because, if you wrote a book, people would say your life sucked!” I heard, “You wouldn’t be the person you are today had you not gone through the things you went through.” I contemplated the message. “Yeah”, I thought. “You’ve worked hard to over come, and you finally love yourself!” There was a feeling of peace and satisfaction. I went about my day and didn’t think too much more about this “conversation with myself”.
It wasn’t until years later that I realized it wasn’t my “self” speaking to myself.
When I heard that voice that said, “Grace, you’ve had a good life” … the first thing I thought about was all my struggles and all my sins. I am not an innocent woman. I lived a very hedonistic lifestyle for many years. And my life was chaos. I was surrounded with like minded individuals, like we always are, and their lives were in chaos too. Birds of a feather … God would judge me harshly, IF He were not a Good Father. If Jesus had not taken all my sins. I deserved judgement. But when I heard that Voice, there was no condemnation whatsoever. None.
He judges everything. But because He loves us, He is merciful and kind. How else would you appreciate Him? How else would you learn to trust Him? When you finally understand … when you finally go to Him, HE IS GRACIOUS. Because He loves you. And forgives you. And restores you. Just GO to Him!
Think of the story of the Prodigal Son. That’s you. It was me. And I am still that ever wandering child, seeking my own way, my own adventures. He pulls me back, gently … through the wonders of nature. I marvel. He pulls me back, through the beautiful night sky and the gentle breezes. I thank Him, especially when the moon is full and bright! “Look what You’ve done!! It’s beautiful! Thank You!”
What is the Character of God? You can trust Him. He is always with you.
