The theme of grace, like being still, continues in my life

At Bible Study on Wednesday evening, we talked more about grace and forgiveness, about how abundant God's grace is, and yet how we only seem to live into a thimble of it.

That made me think about an image I had seen of an attempt to get water from a waterfall with a cup.  Ridiculous, right?  There is so much flowing that a cup cannot contain what is pouring over.  That's the comparison to God's grace.  That imagery has led me to think of God's grace as a 'waterfall of grace' in the past.  It came to mind Wednesday night.

Here is the waterfall I am listening to and observing this morning as I reflect and write:

                                
 
Though I can't find the quote and picture that I remember about the attempting to get water from a waterfall with with a cup, I have found new pictures and Scriptures to reflect upon this morning.

A quote by Annie Dillard-- “Experiencing the present purely is being emptied and hollow; you catch the grace as a man fills his cup under a waterfall.”

This isn't the quote I remember exactly, but this reminds me to empty myself, to be the empty vessel and allow God to fill me, recognizing that grace is abundant if I am open to it.

Lamentations 2:19--"...Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord!..."

Ephesians 2:8--"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—"

Jeremiah 31:25--"I will satisfy the weary, and all who are faint I will replenish."

As I reflect on these verses this morning, I am reminded of three things:

1. to pour out my heart to God
2. grace is a gift of God
3. God will satisfy the weary and replenish the faint

These are good reminders.

Several years ago (2013) in one of my preaching classes, I preached on Psalm 42 and entitled the sermon, "Waterfall of Grace".  I blogged about it.  You can read it here.

Chris Tomlin sings a song about God's love being like a waterfall.

Grace, like being still, is an ongoing theme in my life.  As I've stated, without God's grace, I wouldn't still be here today.  That statement likely could be true for everyone.  Think about the various circumstances and situations in your life.  How has grace carried you?

I continue to ride the waves of grace through life.  Sometimes it is as if I am on top and grace is carrying me.  At other times it feels as though the waves have crashed around me and grace has me covered.  Regardless, grace is present.  I may not always be ready to accept that grace in situations and circumstances nor always recognize it (such as the prevenient grace), but it is there.

Because grace is such a prevalent theme in my life, it comes up in conversation, just as silence and solitude do.

I am grateful for grace.

What about you?

Blessings on your journey,

Debra

Other blog posts about waterfalls (with pictures):
Waterfall, the song by Chris Tomlin-- 2014
The Deep Calls: How Thirsty Are You? (June 23, 2013 sermon on Psalm 42)