Your Grace is Enough

A man goes on the beach and sees that it is covered with starfish that have washed up in the tide. A little boy is walking along, picking them up and throwing them back into the water.
"What are you doing, son?" the man asks. "You see how many starfish there are? You'll never make a difference."
The boy paused thoughtfully, and picked up another starfish and threw it into the ocean.
"It sure made a difference to that one," he said.
- Hawaiian Proverb

Ahh, what a great week. It truly has been fantastic. God is good, God is moving and God is so real.

It really is easy to get depressed or burdened after hearing so many horrifying facts about the brokenness of this world. My international health class gives me plenty of reasons to cry out to God and shake a demanding fist in his face. I've learned too many facts and numbers about the cursed world we live in... a world cursed because of sin.

Did you know that one woman EVERY MINUTE dies during childbirth? Several more are severely injured.
Did you know that Colombia is second only to Sudan in number of displaced refugees due to violence?
Did you know that if you sleep in a bed, keep your food in a fridge and have a roof over your head, then you are in the richest SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT of the world's population?

Yet, this cursed world has a Savior. He has a living, moving, tangible body... his church. And its beautiful and breath-takingingly amazing to be part of it...

Really, I have nothing to say about my classes or the mundane aspects of college this week. I'm just completely overwhelmed by God's grace. His grace is such an incredible aspect-- an idea that has the power to transform lives. He's really been pushing me to new understanding of grace, and truly and honestly, this new understanding has changed my perspective on who God is and what he expects us to be and how he empowers us to do so.

On Sunday I had this fantastic conversation with a girl named Allison who lives on my floor and is also one of my Bible study leaders. We talked about everything and anything. She showed me this one quote about grace... Dietrich Bonhoeffer in The Cost of Discipleship compares two different kinds of grace: cheap grace and costly grace. Its so great that I'm going to share it with you...

That is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which amounts to the justification of the sin without the justification of the sinner who departs from sin which and from whom sin departs. Cheap grace is not the kind of forgiveness of sin which frees us from the toils of sin. Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. [...]

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.

Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'ye were bought at a price,' and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

Ahhh... grace. The infinite character of God. Too complex for us to ever understand, but near enough to transform us.

And now, for a story-time break ('cause I'm always full of those...)

"Does anyone have a shorter or tighter dress?" she chirped up. My mind started racing as I tried to process what she just said. Yes, I had understood correctly. Before I knew it, I opened my mouth and one single word came out: "Why?" She looked at me and looked at her friend who was definitely more scantily-clad than she was... "I just want to look... sexy." I closed my eyes and prayed that inability to hide what I was thinking would not be evident. I hoped that I could actually keep my thoughts and opinions to myself. I assured her that she looked beautiful (she did).

"That's just it! I always look cute, or beautiful... but I want to look... sexy."

I tried to reason with her, letting her know that she looked stunning and fabulous. It wasn't working. Her shoulders dropped more and more. My heart broke for her. I just wanted to reach out and hug her...

"Hon, you look sexy," Chrissy stepped in. With that, she smiled turned around and went off for a night of partying.