Good Morning All,
2 Corinthians
1: 3-4; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all
comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to
comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by God.”
When I was a youngster, we used
to trade baseball cards. We would trade
for our favorite team or our favorite player.
A Mickey Mantle card could get you two or three other cards. A Harmon Killebrew could get you four or five
cards. I liked Tony Oliva and Jim
Grant. We would trade at what we thought
were “equal” values. There was nothing
in writing or long studied manuals, just kids trading dreams. That is really what it was; we would trade
for the player we wanted to be like. We
were all friends, so we helped each other out.
If I had someone else’s favorite player, I would trade him for mine or
else a group of cards, so I had something to trade later.
Maybe you
have this type of relationship with your friends and neighbors now. We do with some of our garden produce. We might trade some dill for some pickles
later. We usually trade pretty freely
with our vegetables and tomatoes. We are
pretty willing to let them go. Some of
our neighbors are pretty quick to share asparagus so it works out. We give and take; it is on the ebb and
flow. Sometimes we have lots to give and
sometimes we get a lot. It is neat
because we all win. We get the stuff we
want and don’t have to throw away our “extra” stuff.
We do the
same with our faith life. God comforts
us so we can comfort others. The amount
of grace that God pours out upon us is beyond our measure but sometimes, our
heart misses some. Sometimes our pain
and sorrow are so great that we lose our trust, and we fail to see God’s love
around us. Sometimes we need a little
boost. Sometimes, things are going
pretty well, and we meet someone who needs a little boost. I like to think of this as the “grace
exchange” program.
I
experience it often. Sometimes when life
feels a little rough and I need a boost; someone will come along and offer
God’s grace. They will tell me that they
are praying for me or that they really appreciated the visit or whatever. I can’t begin to count how many times I have
come away from a shut-in visit where I felt uplifted from my visit. I often feel I get more out of these than
those I visit.
So, as you
go about today, try to give a little grace to those who need a boost. Share God’s love by listening to them or by
offering a comforting hand or just stop and pray with them. Someday you will need the boost. If today is your day to need, ask for it
someone will offer it. God’s grace is
sufficient; his delivery is through our brothers and sisters in Christ who God
places in our life to be a comfort and a help.
So be one and use one.
Father, your
grace is poured out upon us with tremendous love. Often, we miss it, but you continue to send
it our way. Be with us when we need it
and help us to find those who are struggling at this time and in need of your
mercy. Guide us to them and help us to
pour out your grace to all. In Jesus
name we pray, amen.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Bret