Jan 2 2020 James 4:6-8

But He gives more grace.

Today’s reflection in advance of my mission trip is about putting aside pride and grumbling and submitting to God’s will. It talks about how two people may experience the same event, same trip, same accommodations in very different ways. Yes!

Two people rarely experience things exactly the same, even if the things are exactly the same. We bring so much to every encounter and interaction, based on who we are, how we were raised, and how we see things. Take library fines. My husband is ok with them. It’s the cost of turning in a book late. Me? I loathe them. It means I’m somehow an incompetent human. Same fine. Very different reactions.

So on this mission trip, we are encouraged to let God drive the agenda, set the plans, carry the load. And because we’re all human, we’ll all mess up, and think God needs our help. I have a particular way of ‘helping’, and I’m sure everyone else does too. I know better. I’m quite sure God can manage without my help. The leaders have done this before. No one is waiting for my pronouncement of anything. And here’s the best part. Even if I mess up, if I grumble, or help, or fret, God has even more grace.

I was involved in a very contentious church training about welcoming people of differing gender identities. Before we started, the trainers asked us each to write on a big post it note our definition of grace. We had some quiet time to think, and write our answers, and then we were asked to post them on the walls around the training tables. Then the 30 of us walked around and read everyone’s definitions. Love, forgiveness, open arms, always feeling welcomed, radical acceptance. No two definitions were the same, and together they painted a very rich tapestry of Grace.

Then we were asked to sit down. The trainer said we were going to leave the notes on the wall for the whole day. And if ever things got heated, or we didn’t like what someone else was saying, we were surrounded by Grace, and reminded that everyone in the room had similar and complimentary loving definitions of Grace. We literally were surrounded by Grace.

Today, I’m thinking about being surrounded by Grace, and how God always has more Grace, regardless of what is happening in my world or in my head. Regardless of what I do, or don’t do, say or don’t say, or whatever happens, God gives more Grace. On that I must count!