Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: GRACE (08/24/23)
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TITLE: Don't Mess With Grace | Previous Challenge Entry
By Mariane Holbrook
08/30/23 -
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Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God's grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
Quickly, I hurried to her side to join her in singing.
I had driven across four states to visit her for a week, a rotation I willingly shared with my three sisters. After giving her a brief rundown of my trip, I began massaging her arms and legs with her favorite Blue Emu cream that seemed to bring almost immediate, though not long-lasting, relief
.At 96 years of age, Mother was remarkably lucid. As a teenager, she loved classical poetry and memorized many poems by Joyce Kilmer, Robert Frost, and others. Her crowning achievement, however, was her flawless recitation of "Evangeline" by Longfellow. It was 924 words long. She recited it again while I was with her on this trip as I listened in open-mouthed fascination and wonder.
As an avid student of the Bible, she had memorized all the familiar Scripture verses and hymns about God's grace. As we sang, a veil of peace seemed to settle over her like an elegant, esthetically pleasing, feather-edged shawl.
When I was massaging her swollen hands one day in the nursing home, her body swayed from side to side with unrelieved pain. Lifelong arthritis had long since turned those precious fingers into crooked, clawlike digits, with some permanently crossing over the adjoining fingers. Those lovely hands had lovingly placed cool washcloths on my fevered brow during frequent bouts with childhood illnesses. I loved Mother's hands.
While I was massaging them, a cousin who lived near the nursing home dropped by to see Mother. Pearl was sympathetic and caring in her visits with Mother. Still, on this day, she finally let go in an explosion, blaming God for unfairly subjecting Mother to crippling, undeserved pain.
"What about all the verses in the Bible that encourage us to believe in divine healing?" our cousin asked accusingly. Looking toward heaven, she continued, "This dear lady has been Yours since childhood. She's lived a godly life, raising seven children to honor God, two becoming missionaries, and one a pastor's wife. She honored her husband as the spiritual head of their home and was always faithful in church attendance. Everyone who knows her as a Bible teacher and an intercessory prayer warrior holds her in high regard. This isn't fair, Lord. How can You let her suffer like this, and….."?
My mother cut Pearl off in mid-sentence. "Please, Pearl. Don't blame God for this. We should praise Him for letting me stay here another day with my daughters and you. God's grace is greater than all the sins I have committed through the years. Yet he keeps forgiving and blessing me."
The room grew silent. Pearl was clearly offended that Mother had interrupted her, so gathering her purse and other items she had brought with her, Pearl rose, hugged us both, and said, "I've really got to go. Nice to see you both," and abruptly left.
I excused myself and went into the adjoining bathroom to place a wet towel on my face. I had witnessed Pearl in similar situations when she was impatient, which always left me drained.
When I returned to Mother's room, she motioned for me to sit down, then quietly said, "Perhaps I was too hasty with Pearl, but when she starts accusing God in this manner, it usually goes on for some time. After you've returned home, I'll phone Pearl and invite her over for our 4 o'clock tea.
Mother rearranged the throw pillows behind her twisted, painful spine and continued," God's grace can be defined as 'undeserved favor. We cannot earn it; it is something that He freely gives.' I hope you'll write that somewhere in your Bible along with this:
"PHYSICAL HEALING IS TEMPORAL, BUT GOD'S GRACE IS ETERNAL.
GIVEN THE CHOICE, I WOULD CHOOSE GOD'S GRACE EVERY TIME."
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