Today's Grace - No Joke!

It's been awhile since I've posted; not that God hasn't shown His grace to me any one of the days since March when I last had anything particularly worthwhile (or not) to say, but with work and school - ONLY 6 MONTHS 7 DAYS UNTIL GRADUATION (forgive me for yelling, but it is exciting, don't you think?) and family life, blah, blah, blah, blogging just hasn't been much on my mind.  But today I am constrained (there's a word for you) to tell the world - or at least my corner of the blogosphere - about the grace God has shown me, just today.


It was beautiful this morning.  The first snowfall of the season always excites me, and I was up and digging out my snow boots so I could trundle off to church.  Granted, the choir had to cancel it's anthem - too many folks snowed in - and Scot left for a magic show at 6:00 am, so I was trundling off by myself, but a day spent worshiping the God you adore with folks you love is a wonderful day at the least.


Did I mention it was the first snowfall of the season?  Good thing I learned to drive in eastern Washington state.  Good thing I have all wheel drive on my SUV.  Good thing I know to steer into a skid. Should I be thankful for antilock brakes?  Good thing that 5 MPH should be sufficient to keep me safe... As I was skidding around a corner at 5 MPH, trying to desperately avoid the last car that skidded around that same corner, I was awestruck as the world slowed down and my car literally floated as it reversed direction, plowed into the hillside on the other side of the road, and parked itself, teetering at an odd angle, balancing on the driver's side tires, leaving me just enough room to open the driver's door and shimmy out.  I turned around and looked at my car.  I wish I'd had a camera with me - what a sight!  It should have completely turned over.  I thought, as I was spinning out, that I was going to turn over.  Yet there it was, looking like I'd driven and parked it there on purpose.  It landed so gently that the airbags didn't even twitch.  


I called church (as our regular pianist was snowed in, I really needed to get there); Glen and Ed showed up shortly to assess the situation, tuck me between them in Glen's pick-up, and escort me to my place behind the piano.  My pastor was in shock and disbelief when she learned my car was pretty much on its side and I was there, in one piece.  I laughed it off, and was thrilled to tell everyone that the car was fine and drivable and I was unhurt.  My own shock wore off, however, during Communion, as she said the same words she blesses us with every week: "May the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you, and keep you in His grace."  That's where my smile faded, I started to shake, and realized that, once again, God's grace was splattered all over my life.


"Keep you in His grace."  How does one define grace?  As I rely on all things Web-based, I turned to Wikipedia:  


The view that Christians have on grace is that it is undeserved mercy that God gave to us by sending his son to die on a cross to give us a way to be with him for the balance of eternity.  However, the Greek word used in the Bible is Charis, in which Strong's concordance gives this interesting definition, "The divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life." The Greek word charis is related to two other Greek/English words, which are charisma (a special spiritual endowment or influence) and character (an engraving, stamp or mark indicating the genuineness of something). Therefore, grace is given by God in reference to developing characteristics in harmony with God's character. This implies that grace is given to those who develop such God like characteristics. An alternative perspective is that grace is given to enable such character changes to be realized... From a nontheist, naturalist, and rationalist perspective, the concept of divine grace appears to be the same...concept as luck.


God's grace, which I receive by faith, is what has secured my eternity, tucked as cozily into God as I was tucked between Glen and Ed this morning.  God's grace is also the act of transforming my character into one that reflects His own, one that can laugh and be joyful, even during the insanity of such a situation as this morning.  And God's grace is also that sheer, dumb luck that kept my car upright and my hair in place, got me to church on time to minister with the saints, and saw me driving home in that same car, with nary a scratch on it.  The Body and Blood of my Lord, Jesus Christ, does indeed strengthen me, and keeps me in His grace - perpetually and without any effort on my part.


So today's grace -the grace du jour - is just this:  May the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in His grace.  Amen!