Living Color!

I was thinking on the way back from the pond while walking Fiver this morning, that if I learned ANYTHING over the last ten years or twelve years, it is about the GRACE of God.  Awhile back I started to see that God’s GRACE toward us, is not strictly black and white but in shades of grey!  I realized through my own personal experience and that of others that I began to take notice of, that God tends to look at us as individuals… each with a unique set of life experiences, varying educational levels and special gifting's and talents.

Let me use the example of my dearly departed wife.  As I got to intimately know her over the many years of our dating, engagement and marriage, it became clear that although there were many similarities, she was VERY different from the rest of her immediate family.  Her personality was different, many of her personal likes and dislikes were different and in fact, her entire attitude of life was different.  

She had a daring, outgoing, enthusiastic and yet child-like side that contrasted to the more intellectual approach of the rest of her clan.  You would have been hard-pressed to find my wife down or negative… even when the horrendous effects of Alzheimer’s began to encroach upon her.  When others around her were sad or depressed, she was the light of encouragement and joy shining in the room!  So, for anyone to think that they could describe, judge or figure out my wife by looking strictly at the rest of her family, they would be sorely disappointed at how far off their analysis of her was!

Likewise, if God was to look at any of us based on our similarities to others, He would also find Himself to be far off from the true facts!  From what I have come to learn, God always does a thorough background check BEFORE He makes a decision and takes action!  He looks at each of us based on our own lives, our own decisions, and on our personal attitudes of the heart.  God looks on the inside… deep into our hearts before He releases His grace toward us.  In other words, the Grace of God is NOT a one size fits all!

I found myself a few years back, on the receiving end of some very negative accusations that seemed to be coming out of nowhere!  Any unbiased analysis of the facts would have easily proved that what was being said was totally false.  When I finally began to pray about what was happening, I slowly realized that I was being judged on the basis of someone else’s beliefs, priorities, personality style and life experiences.  That understanding helped me to get through and best handle the situation.

Lately though, as I have been looking at God’s GRACE again, I am finding it more and more difficult to see this wonderful gift in just shades of grey!  In the book of Acts, Luke calls it “God’s powerful grace.” (14:26)  He asks “Why on earth would you now want to limit God’s grace?” (15:10)  And then he writes of how Jesus called the Apostle Paul “to faithfully preach the wonderful news of God’s grace.” (Acts 20:24)  In the book of Romans, Paul greets his readers by telling them of how, through Jesus, “a joy-producing grace cascaded into us, empowering us with the gift of apostleship, so that we can win people from every nation into a faithful commitment to Jesus, to bring honor to his name.” (Romans 1:5 – All verses The Passion Translation)  And the more I read, the more descriptive definitions I find!

So, my point?  It is pretty clear to me, that one could succinctly state, without question… that God’s GRACE is not BLACK and WHITE, nor in SHADES of GREY… but in LIVING and ACTIVE, BEAUTIFUL COLOR!  Do any of you remember the old movie The Wizard of Oz when the scene changes from drab black and white while Dorothy was at home in Kansas, to beautiful, rich (according to 1939 standards) living color in the Land of Oz?  As a kid watching the movie in the early 1960’s at a neighbor’s house with my brother and sister, I was literally blown away!  I recall saying… or at least thinking… “WHOA!  Did you see that?” (It was the first time I’d actually seen the movie on a new-fangled color TV!)

So yeah!  God’s GRACE is pretty spectacular!  I know that when I see and or receive glimpses of His GRACE… after all these years… that I still can’t help but utter, “WHOA!  DID YOU SEE THAT?

How about you?  Do you see the GRACE of God, receive it and at times give it -  in Black and White, shades of Grey --- or in Living Color?

Have a great week!